Chapter 5
The short stay on Ruan was boring and uneventful. To make things worse, Kyn Fuller had not seen Zafii in over two days. The large transport ship had thinned out tremendously with previous stops in Corellia, Naboo, and the last one on Ruan. Yet, no matter how hard he looked he could not locate her. He even asked his sister Kyra if she had seen her about the ship; of course he made sure to do this when Cole was not in ear shot. To his disappointment and to his sister's, she had not.
They were still quite a ways from landing on Coruscant and everyone was asleep in their family's quarters. Kyn could not sleep however. He had done nothing but lounged about the past few days and the thought of sleeping without actually doing something was just driving him insane. He stood up slowly from his cot and tippy-toed to the durasteel door. He overrode the automatic opening mechanism and put it on manual so he could open it slowly and not wake up his family.
He looked back after opening the door and everyone still looked sound asleep. He slowly pulled the heavy door shut and typed in the code on the number pad to lock it. He pulled his coat a little tighter around his chest; it was quite cold in the corridors of the transport.
He walked down the hallways made of echoing steel, passing by cabin door after cabin door. He passed the cafeteria, which again only had a few lights on in it. He stopped for a second and peaked in. To his disappointment, Zafii was not there.
He continued walking for several minutes until he could see light ahead. In the light he could see clouds of smoke swirling in it. Someone was smoking, or several someone's. The aroma of cheap cigars flinted past his nose as he got closer. Then he could hear the sounds coming from ahead. It was the same area he had been in with his brother Cole several nights before.
"Sabaac!" A large green alien laughed, reaching for his credits in the center of a makeshift table.
"Idiot's Array," a woman laughed wildly, stunning the green alien across from her.
Another alien, who was apparently the dealer, shoved the credits her way.
There were four other makeshift tables in the room; all of them were hosting a game of sabaac. The woman who had just won the hand, Kyn recognized as the same woman that had tried to get him to play the other night before Kyra had turned up missing.
"Ah," she said, noticing him in the doorway from across the room. "He came back."
"They always do," a rough looking male human who was sitting next to her said.
The woman stood and gestured for him to join the table.
"You can have my spot; perhaps you could give me some beginners luck?" She said.
Kyn looked a little baffled by this. Why would she be willing to risk her own credits to let him play?
"Sit down, kid," the rough male next to her barked.
Kyn walked over as several beings in the room turned and looked at him. There were a few wry smiles but he tried to look anyone in the face.
"Always a pleasure to introduce someone new to the wonderful game of sabaac." The woman grinned. "I'm Salue and you are?"
"Kyn," he muttered.
"Alright Kyn, you ever played before?" She asked, her long, wrinkled hands not massaging his shoulders as he sat in her chair.
"I know the theory," he said, trying to sound confident.
"Let's give it a try then, deal it." Salue said, looking at the dealer.
Kyn was playing with four other people at the table. The green alien, the rough looking human next to him, and two other a humanoids who had blue skin. They placed initial bets and were then dealt the small cards.
After all of the rounds were complete, Kyn smiled and showed his hand.
"23!" Exclaimed Salue, as she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. Her long purple hair wisped him in the face and she smelt like the bottom of a sarlaac pit.
"Let's raise the stakes," Salue encouraged.
With that, she reached over Kyn and pushed in all of her credits. Everyone but the green alien across from him immediately said they were out.
"Haven't even seen the bloody hand yet," griped the man next to him.
"I'll give it a go," The alien nodded. It was obvious that basic was not his ordinary dialect.
He had more credits than Salue but only put in enough credits to call her. Kyn had a bad feeling about this and swore this was his last hand and he would make and excuse and leave. He felt like these people were setting him up.
"Ky- Ky- Kyn?" A small voice said from across the room.
Kyn turned as the small cards were being dealt.
"Kyra! What are you doing out of bed." Kyn yelled.
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and seemed to at least be half way interested in this exchange. Kyra ran over to Kyn's side, a bit scared of the crowd.
"I saw you leave and wanted to make sure you were alright." Kyra explained.
"I need to take her back, if you will excuse me." Kyn said, standing up.
"SIT DOWN!" The green alien said, standing himself.
"How dare you talk to a human like that you filthy rodian!" Salue spat back.
Kyn couldn't understand. They weren't even his credits, Salue would surely be able to play with her own credits and take his place.
"The boy needs to sit down and finish the hand as it started. There are a lot of credits on the line here. I don't want any funny business from you humans. How do I know I'm not being setup here?" The rodian shot back. "And if you talk to me like that again, woman… I will be forced to pull my blaster. SIT!"
"Just…" Salue began, but she looked shaken by the threat. "Just finish the hand Kyn, we don't want any trouble. She can watch and then you two can leave."
Kyn gulped but did as he was requested. He looked at his cards and exchanged three of them with the dealer. Kyra watched nervously as her older brother tried to remain calm through all the rounds of play.
"I want to make another bet," the rodian snorted. "I bet the rest of my credits."
"What? You can't do that!" Salue argued.
"Then let the boy fold. I see you have nothing more to bet."
"That's the point; you can't just up the stakes at this point." Salue looked to the dealer for help.
"Seeing as how I'm the only one in this room who seemed to be able to sneak a blaster by security, I think we'll play by my rules." The rodian smiled.
"Fine, just show the cards." Salue said, frustrated.
The rodian shook his head, "Not until my bet is matched. Trust me woman, you have nothing to offer me."
"What do you want then?" Salue asked, confused.
The rodian's eyes traveled to young Kyra. He was staring at something on her wrist.
"That ought to make up the difference!" He exclaimed, pointing at the jeweled bracelet.
Kyra shook her head, "No! My mother gave me this."
"Looks like it's been passed down for generations." Salue said, jealously.
Kyra nodded to let her know that she was indeed right about her assumption.
Salue reached down and looked at Kyn's cards. He had a sabaac, a perfect 23. She smiled and whispered to him.
"Please, that is all the credits I have. We have this won. Nothing beats a Pure Sabaac. The worse that can happen is we split everything even."
Kyn looked at Salue, her eyes didn't seem trustworthy. He then looked at his sister who was now trying to hide the bracelet from view. He couldn't just let this woman walk around Coruscant with no credits, could he?
"Fine!" Kyn said angrily. "Sabaac!"
Salue raised her arms in victory and wrapped her arms around Kyn's chest.
"Idiot," the rodian laughed.
Kyn glared at him.
"Idiot's Array," the rodian cackled. "Hand over the bracelet."
"No!" Kyra yelped and began to run away.
A man at another table held out his leg and tripped her. She fell to the ground, face first. Her lip had been busted open. She began to cry from the pain. Suddenly a large booted foot stepped on her forearm. She screamed even louder as the rodian bent down and ripped the jewel encrusted bracelet from his tiny wrist.
Kyn was made with rage. All he could see were these men hurting his little sister. Blinded by hate, he sucker bunched the rodian who flew backwards and crashed through one of the makeshift tables.
A blaster bolt flew by his ear, just missing him. He felt to the floor and scooped up Kyra. In all of the chaos, he had become disoriented and was now standing in a corner of the room, far from the exit. He had no way to get past the rodian or his newly found friends.
Salue laughed wildy and put her arm around the rodian.
"Taken for a sucker," she spat, the words stinging Kyn's pride.
Kyra was holding onto Kyn, trying to hide her face in his robes. The blaster held by the rodian was pointed right at Kyn's head.
"It would be an awful mess to clean up," Salue warned her friend.
"Even a bigger one to cover up," said the rough looking human.
The rodian nodded and handed his blaster to Salue. He then walked over to Kyn, his fist clenched tightly and punched him in the bridge of the nose.
"Brother and sister, bleeding together!" Salue laughed like a crazy woman.
Kyn fell to the floor, holding his face. He could see the blackish, red blood pouring onto his hand. Kyra screamed as she saw her brother in pain. She tried to wipe the blood away from his nose, even though her own lip had been badly cut. Her concern was only for her brother.
It was no use, she could not help him. Suddenly she was pulled away from Kyn and a loud crashing noise was heard. She had been tossed half way across the room and wrecked yet another sabaac table.
Kyn bull rushed the rodian and tackled him to the floor. He threw wild fist after wild fist, most of them missing. Soon there were eight pairs of boots kicking Kyn in the gut, in the face, and on his legs. At first he was able to absorb the punishment with sheer adrenaline and throw a few more haymakers. Alas, he was taken to the ground by sheer numbers.
"Let's just put this scum in an escape pod and let him starve in the middle of space." A voice yelled.
The rodian finally made it to his feet and he double checked himself. He found blood on his shirt but was glad to see that it wasn't his own.
"I'm not done with this kid yet," the rodian snarled.
They pinned Kyn up against the wall, one person holding each of his arms bound. The rodian landed a few well placed jabs to Kyn's eyebrow and chin. He reached back for one more blow, but then stopped with his arm wrenched back. He lowered it slowly and turned towards his counterparts.
"I think he's had enough. Let's all leave before we are found out." He said, his voice seemed wary and unlike himself.
"Nah, let's get him!" The rough looking man said, now walking over to Kyn to get a few shots in himself.
The rodian stepped in front of the man and stopped him in his tracks.
"It's time to leave," the rodian repeated.
"Get out of," said, stopping in midsentence. "He's right everyone. Let's leave them be now. They have learned their lesson."
Salue looked absolutely flabbergasted. She circled around both of them, looking at them as if they were statues in a museum.
"Something ain't right here," she grumbled.
She raised the blaster and it was at point blank range to Kyn's face.
"No! Please!" Kyra cried from the other side of the room.
Salue was not looking at Kyra or Kyn, but still at her two counterparts. They finally turned to face her, but it was a slow, drawn out motion that seemed to be choreographed.
"Show yourself Jedi," Salue demanded.
A brown cloaked figured entered the room. Their hood was over their face and you could not make them out under it. The group of people parted so that the cloaked figure could walk between them and towards Salue.
"Your mind tricks might work on the rest of them," Salue laughed. "But not on me."
The figure raised their head and raised their hands to take the hood down to their shoulders. Zafii's face was revealed, a stone cold look on her face.
"Zafii!" Kyra cried out.
"Please put down the blaster," Zafii asked calmly.
"Fat chance," Salue said.
"Nothing more will come of this if you just put it down now. As you already know, I am a Jedi. You can't possibly think you stand a chance. Do the smart thing here." Zafii said.
"Let me get this straight? I put down the blaster and you won't arrest me once we get to Coruscant?" Salue asked.
"That's right," Zafii's voice was soothing. "You will be able to go about your business and no one will ever need to know about this."
Amazingly, Salue threw the blaster on the ground and backed up. Zafii did not move. When Salue saw that she was going to be true to her word, she ran to the middle of the room and scooped up as many credits as she could. She then saw the bracelet in the rodian's hand and went to pull it away.
Before she could grab it from his hand, it flew in the other direction in mid-air towards Zafii.
Salue glared but did not say a word and then ran away down the corridor to hide.
"Zafii!" Kyra said, running towards the padawan.
Kyra wrapped her hands around her midsection and squeezed tightly.
"Come, we need to get you both to the medical bay." Zafii instructed, leaving her angriest looked of the evening for Kyn.