Chapter three complete. This one was a struggle, with each sequence being very carefully crafted. In fact, I don't think I've ever so carefully crafted my plotlines in all my years of writing. As always, leave me a review to let me know what you thought! I'd love to hear feedback so I can make sure the following chapters are that much better than the previous. Read on!

Chapter III - "Rumors"

Thorne, Shen, and Sha'veen were all soon entering Echoy'la together. The town sat beside the main road between Peche and Theenes, and had very few points of entry. To dissuade the predators of Krant, Echoy'la was surrounded by a strong wall. Inside, the buildings and structures were arranged not unlike the space ports of other systems. Buildings sat close beside one another, often having their walls only inches apart if not already touching. Every so often, an alleyway broke between two structures in order to grant access to various amenities such as the plumbing or power grid. The only people who went into those alleys were technicians or those doing deals they wished to go unseen. Most of the buildings in town were only ten to fifteen feet tall; big enough for only a single floor. For the residents of Echoy'la, that was all they ever needed.

Sha'veen and Shen worked on opposite ends of the market district. Various businesses operated in this part of town, from farmers selling their crops to artisans peddling their craft, all the way to a few mechanics specializing in a certain class of vehicle. Sha'veen did well to hide how worn down she was from her morning attempting to train with Thorne as she walked into the shop where she was employed. Her coworkers were already hard at work preparing their merchandise for the day. Electrum jewelry was being skillfully polished behind the counter, and in the back room, the sound of a small ball peen hammer striking metal sounded at an almost perfect interval.

"Good morning, Shav," said the human woman who was polishing their wares.

"Hello Kama. How's the morning? Many orders coming in?"

For the next few minutes, the two chatted about mundane things relating to their business. Sha'veen focussed on sweeping up the main lobby, ensuring it would be clean when their customers began to come in. Before long, the automatic door slid open and the first two customers arrived, one shortly after the other. The first was a male dug, followed shortly after by a female human.

"Good morning, welcome in!" Sha'veen greeted them both as they entered. The dug offered no response, but the human was friendly enough. "Can I give you any recommendations?"

"Yes please," replied the woman. "My father is coming in from Peche later today. You see, he's just re-married, and I'd like a nice gift to give to my new stepmother. We've never met, so I'd like to have a good first impression."

"Well, if that's the case, nothing says classy like electrum. We just finished polishing these," she said, smiling as she showed off a glass case full of the gold-looking jewelry.

"What's this 'we' business you're going on about?" Kama said, giggling as she continued to work on a ring. Her words garnered further laughter from both Sha'veen and the customer she was assisting.

Though she had only been working at that shop for a couple of years, she had become something of an expert at deducing what her customers needed. "A necklace is probably your best bet. How about this one?" she asked, holding up a brightly polished piece with a red gem inlaid in the pendant. "This is a fire ruby imported from Lothal placed in an electrum pendant. The red and gold compliment each other beautifully."

The customer gushed at it instantly. "Oh, it's beautiful! But I don't suppose the price tag is much more attractive?" She seemed apprehensive as she asked.

"I can't say it's our cheapest option," Sha'veen said, using her merchant's skills of persuasion. "But when it comes to gifts for family, is there really a price we can place?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "No, I suppose not. But how much is the pendant, really?"

"It's going to cost about four hundred. We take most-"

"Girl!" The dug shouted, interrupting the sale. "Girl, I need you to assist me." He was looking over the cheaper jewelry.

The other customer looked quite irritated by his interruption. "Just a moment, Sir," Sha'veen replied. "Sorry, we accept most independent currencies, prefer Wupiupi if you can."

"That's fine. Can I do partial with Republic-"

"Girl! I don't have all day, I'm in a hurry here!"

"Gonna be one of those mornings," Sha'veen thought, fighting back her irritation. She was good at keeping her cool, even when dealing with people as rude as this. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the woman she was helping.

"Is there some kind of problem here? Wait your turn," she said, her tone quite rough. Kama began to look nervous behind the counter.

"I don't wait," he said plainly. "And watch your tone with me, girl."

"Excuse me?"

"I said watch your tone."

"Shove it up your exhaust port!" She shouted, placing her hands on her hips.

The dug moved quickly, reaching out to grab at her collar. "Eh'chu'ta!" He cursed.

Before he could make contact with her, Sha'veen stepped in between them. She grabbed his arm by the wrist and placed a firm but gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. "That's enough of that," she said, focusing the force on each of their minds. A gentle manipulation was all it took to stay their anger. "Sir, if you intend to buy anything here, then wait you will. And you will be kinder to the other customers."

The dug looked rather surprised, but also gave in almost instantly. "I…I'm sorry, I will wait, and be kinder to the other customers." Kama eyeballed the three of them, her eyes wide as she saw the skill of her coworker in quelling their fierce emotions. Her surprise was soon replaced by a look of deep thought.

"Thank you," Sha'veen replied, before returning her attention to the first customer. "Now that that's settled, we can forget the whole thing and get back to the pendant. For your stepmother, correct?"

She relaxed quickly and responded. "Yes, it is. Do you accept republic credits?"

Sha'veen frowned at the woman. "Unfortunately we don't. Those credits just don't spend anymore."

The woman sighed. "I understand. Do you accept calamari flan?"

She smiled. "That we do."

After a few more minutes, Sha'veen had finished the sale of the pendant and bid the customer farewell. Her attention then turned to the dug, who was awkwardly waiting by their cheapest merchandise. With a deep breath, she approached him and smiled cordially.

"Thank you for your patience, sir. What can I help you with?"

His response was no less irritating than his earlier behavior. "I need a gift to placate my wife; our anniversary is tomorrow. And please tell me you at least accept imperial credits."

On the other side of the market district, Shen's shift had also gotten underway. He was working with his team on the ship which belonged to their Rodian customer from the previous day. Shen and the other assistants were working to gather materials to begin the process of rigging a compressor to her damaged condenser. The senior mechanic on the team was working on the plans for their project, ensuring that what they planned on doing would actually work for a short time.

"Why so cautious?" one of the assistants asked.

"Because if our parts don't fit properly, if there's a breach or leak anywhere in the chamber, it'll blow the whole ship before it even breaks the atmosphere. I'd rather not have a dead client on our record."

Shen was the next to speak. "Don't worry, I wouldn't have suggested this if I wasn't sure it would work," he assured. "Ash, don't forget the ion torch. If we don't weld this thing solid when we're done, we really will kill her." The other mechanic quickly grabbed the mentioned tool.

"I still can't believe you came up with this idea on the fly," the senior mechanic said. "How's a kid your age learn so much?"

"I got a little sister," he lied. "She wants to be a star pilot when she grows up, so I'm learning everything there is to know about ships. That way I can teach her."

The elder sighed. "That's sweet and all, Shen, but you shouldn't get her hopes up. Only people making it off this dump are the rich folks in the big cities, and even then, there ain't-"

Suddenly, a familiar voice began calling out from the entrance of the shop in her native language. None of the mechanics on the team spoke her tongue, but they could tell she sounded upset.

"Karabast, can't she wait two days for the repairs? Shen, Ash, go get rid of her, will you? We'll be alright here without you."

Shen chuckled to himself, ignoring the advice that his superior was trying to give. He and his younger counterpart both put their tools down on a nearby table and made their way to the front of the shop. The Rodian woman was speaking frantically in the language of her home world, seeming desperate to get their attention. She didn't wait for them to announce themselves; she changed to the common tongue as soon as she heard the door open.

"Fix!" She exclaimed, watching the two come around the corner. "Fix finished now? Finish now!"

"Hold on," Ash replied, trying to calm her down. "We can't do overnights here. You're gonna have to give us a few days."

"No!" She bellowed, her desperation growing. She frantically reached out and took hold of the younger mechanic's shirt, shaking him slightly. "You fix now! I leave now! Empire coming, need leave!"

Ash was obviously taken by surprise by her sudden outburst. He didn't seem to know how to respond. "We're going as fast as we can you moof milker!" He said, trying to pry her off.

Shen jumped in as quickly as he could, helping to free his associate who was more than angry at having been nearly assaulted. He had to keep himself wedged firmly between the two of them to prevent any further violence. "Easy, easy!" he shouted, shoving the two apart. "Ash, get back in the pit, now!"

"Me? But she-"

"Now, Ash. Go!"

The young worker begrudgingly marched back through the door they had come through. The rodian continued to shout, now placing her ire on Shen. "Useless! Slow! No fix, can't fix."

Shen took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions to handle this difficult customer once again. Addressing her firmly, he spoke. "Now you listen here, we are working as fast as we can. We're finishing up the plans now. If we can get to work, it will be finished by tomorrow afternoon."

She seemed exasperated by his statement. "Rebels. Rebels here now, empire coming now," she stated.

"Look, no matter how urgent the situation, it can't make this go any faster. You either wait until tomorrow, or you don't leave, period."

"But…but…" she continued to stammer.

Shen began to realize just how terrified this customer seemed to be. He wondered if this fear was prevalent everywhere, or if she was just more paranoid than the rest of the planet. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. We are going to get you off world as fast as we can. We just need one more day."

The rodian sighed heavily, looking into Shen's eyes with a mixture of hope and fear. After a long silence, she finally spoke. "Ok. Return tomorrow dark, fix by then?"

"Yes, I promise we'll have your ship ready to leave the system by tomorrow night."

Soon after those words were spoken, she thanked him and walked out of the shop. Shen took in a deep breath, trying to relax after his nerves were wound so tight. He was thankful she saw reason. After taking a moment to gather himself, the young man walked over to the door of the main workshop. He pressed the switch to open the door, ready to re-join his team in fixing the rodian's ship, but was startled by the face of his boss, Hop, the chief mechanic, staring him in the eyes. He looked rather perturbed, but said nothing. He simply continued to stare.

After a few moments, Shen finally broke the silence. "What's going on, Hop?" he asked, smiling to break the tension.

The old mechanic grumbled. "You know, I was on my way in here to clean up that kid's mess. Thought I was gonna have to offer her this service at the cost of parts alone to save our reputation. Imagine my surprise when I come to find you've handled the situation yourself, sparing me all the extra cost."

Shen tried to hide his pride at the cold praise was receiving. "Just needed a reasonable hand, is all."

"It was more than that," Hop stated, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm promoting you to lead engineer on my team."

Shen's eyes went wide as he heard those words. "W-what? But I'm-"

"And as a reward for your hard work with this contract, I'm going to give you twenty percent-no, let's not push it. Fifteen percent of the margin as a bonus." Shen was speechless. "You showed real leadership here. I'm not sure you realize how much. I would have fired that dimwit if you hadn't taken charge. I'll make sure he knows that."

Shen was positively glowing with pride. Even though his job at the shop was only a cover while he and his fellow Jedi were in hiding, he had to work hard to earn his place on their team. It felt like a true accomplishment to be promoted. "Thank you," he said. "I won't disappoint you."

Soon enough, the two of them returned to the pit and the announcement was made. Shen was fairly embarrassed, as was Ash as their boss purposefully made an example out of his lack of self control. After that, the team got back to work, finalizing the plans and getting the repairs well underway. They finally called it at around mid afternoon, each of them going separate ways. Shen couldn't shake his feeling of accomplishment as he began walking back towards Echoy'la's main entrance. He passed many of the town's residents on his way, but took special note of a human woman right by the main gate who was greeting a middle-aged couple as they exited their speeder. After exchanging greetings, she presented the visiting couple, or rather just the older woman, with a dazzling piece of jewelry. Shen couldn't tell what the pendant was; only that it was golden with a red gemstone embedded in it. He wasn't really one for jewels and bobbles like that, but it did make him happy to see the joyful exchange as he left town and made his way into the forest.

Thorne's day wasn't going nearly as pleasantly as the other two students. He had lost count of how many crates he had moved, how many unhappy drivers had yelled at him for having to inspect their cargo. Manifests hadn't been sent, items were missing, and nobody on the load crew was happy. As a result of the increase in shipments that day, the entire team was having to work longer than usual. They were all completely out of patience by the time their final shipment arrived. To all of their relief, it was small. Only a few unmarked crates.

"Everyone take five," their boss shouted. "I'll inspect this one myself."
None of the workers complained as they were given a short break. The majority of them collapsed to the ground the instant he finished speaking, but Thorne remained on his feet. He couldn't help but eyeball the final shipment curiously. It was unusual-unheard of, even, for their boss to do an inspection alone. He and the driver soon disappeared behind the transport, out of sight for a few moments. Through the force, he could feel a shift; of what kind, he was unsure. His empathic skills were not as attuned as his master's, nor even Sha'veen's for that matter. A moment later, the two reappeared around the opposite side of the transport. Thorne's eyes narrowed as he saw their boss slip something into his pocket, before pressing a few buttons on his hollo-screen.

"Alright, everybody up," he said, earning exasperated sighs. "Last shipment, get it on the next transport. The sooner it's transferred, the sooner you go home."

Another oddity, Thorne noticed. Normally at least two people had to inspect a shipment manifest before it could be signed off. None of the other workers seemed to notice, or if they did, none of them cared. Everyone quickly got to work, and soon after Thorne did as well. "Must be my imagination," he thought to himself, blaming his exhaustion from the day's labor. He quickly joined the rest of the crew, transferring the crates one after the other. When the last one was in place, he pressed a few buttons on the transport to engage the magnetic binders, ensuring that none of them would easily fall off during transit.

"Alright, good work today. No shipments in the morning, so feel free to sleep in for an extra hour before you come in," their boss said, not really making eye contact with any of them. The crew said very few words to each other before they went their separate ways.

Thorne stretched his aching arms, ready to go home and rest after such a hard day. He screamed internally as he suddenly remembered that he was meant to pick up the next rotation of supplies. He dared not put it off, for who knew what tomorrow might hold for them. Grumbling, he turned around and made his way to the market district. Luckily the various marchants and stores were all still open, allowing Thorne to shop freely. He still wasted no time, buying at least a month's worth of long-lasting food items. Polystarch rations and ration bars were the main items, however they were far from the tastiest. Various other supplies were also added to the large load which he carried, including a few Meiloorun melons as a treat, however none of it was all too heavy. When he finally had everything they needed, Thorne decided he wanted to get himself something fresh cooked before heading home. Moments later, he had entered one of the local diners.

There were only a few groups inside, but Thorne paid them no attention. Instead, he walked right up to the front counter, where an older model service droid was waiting to take any orders. "Salted nerf flank," he stated.

"Yes, young master," said the droid. "Rare, medium, or well?"

"Medium," he replied.

"Of course. Your order will be ready shortly."

Thorne waited patiently by the counter, his nose filling with the scent of roasting meat. Idle chatter could be heard throughout the diner from the few groups who were within. He couldn't really understand what most of them were saying, however there was one table relatively close to him which sat three humans. They were talking to one another in hushed tones, which only led Thorne to eavesdrop more intentionally.

"Are you sure of what you saw?" One of them, a young female human, whispered.

"Well I'm no expert on ships but it certainly looked like a venator, only much bigger. I can't imagine why a ship like that would be in our system," another woman, this one much older, stated. Her words struck Thorne like a blaster bolt.

"Not to mention we've been seeing a Lambda-class shuttle going in and out of the capitol building in Peche," the third, this one an older male, added.

"That can't be a coincidence, can it? Do you think the Empire is here?" the younger woman asked.

At those words, Thorne couldn't help but glance their way to get a better look at them. Unfortunately, the three of them looked entirely ordinary. The only thing that stuck out to him was that the older woman was wearing a shiny pendant around her neck with a red gemstone at its center.

"I'm afraid it looks like they've finally arrived. Rumors are spreading around the city that an Imperial called Moff Yittreas is attempting to establish control of the planet. He's searching for a rebel cell somewhere on Krant."

"Your order is complete," the service droid suddenly said, startling Thorne. He quickly turned around, taking up the food and paying the droid.

"Thank you," he said, making a hasty exit from the diner. His heart was racing as he processed what he had just heard. The day had finally arrived. The Empire had come, at last.