The morning crowds had not yet filled the streets of Mos Eisley when Lorna and Obi-Wan arrived in the marketplace. Heat already radiated from the sand beneath Lorna's feet despite the early hour, promising another scorching day. They had left the eopie in its usual stall and headed for a shop that carried vaporator parts
Lorna's muscles protested as she dismounted, still sore from the previous day's trials. The daily work of maintaining the homestead had kept her strong, but lightsaber training and fighting off raiders was more than she had exerted herself in a long time. Nevertheless, they couldn't delay this trip. Without the vaporator valve, their water supply would not last long, and they would also need to stock up on additional food now that their garden had been destroyed.
"Let's keep this visit short," Obi-Wan said when they reached the entrance to the shop. "I'll get the part we need while you buy the groceries. We'll meet back at the stall."
He handed her a handful of credits and disappeared inside without another word. She had fallen fast asleep before he had finished his shower the night before, but ever since that morning he had been short and reserved. He hadn't said more than a few words to her when they made a brief stop at the Comet again, finding it unchanged from its unfortunate state. She couldn't fathom what had prompted his broodiness and chalked it up to the same exhaustion that was still weighing her down.
She browsed the food vendor stalls, selecting some of their regular staples. She caught the sweet, fruity smell of pallie pies coming from a stall where a woman was pulling a fresh batch out of a brick oven. Her mouth watered, and she couldn't help lingering nearby, watching the woman move the pies from the oven to the display with care. She regretfully moved along before the woman could try to sell her one. Sweets were not a luxury they could afford right now.
She released a plaintive sigh as she was reminded that she was no closer to affording repairs for the Comet. Three hundred peggats. The sum loomed impossibly large in her mind. Her hand instinctively moved to rub the tension gathering at the back of her neck as she rehashed her options again.
A melodic whistling sound behind her made her turn around. Outside a nearby cafe, a Twi'lek woman with green skin was blowing a few warm-up notes into a flute, while a curly-haired human man set a drum on the ground next to her.
Street musicians! Lorna thought, barely able to quell her excitement. She drifted a little closer to where the musicians were setting up, trying to remain nondescript.
"...is it even worth performing that one without Moto?" she overheard the man say to the Twi'lek woman.
"It's a crowd favorite!" she protested.
The man shook his head and tapped a few beats on the drum with his fingertips. "It just doesn't hit the same without vocals. I wish he hadn't left."
"It's too bad the only one of us who isn't tone deaf cannot do it while playing the flute," the Twi'lek woman replied with an impish smile.
"Hey, singing wasn't in the job description when I signed up for this gig!" he shot back.
They need a singer.
Lorna couldn't help wondering if the Force was finally offering the opportunity she needed. She quickly tamped down on her enthusiasm. She didn't know these musicians, and her earlier reservations about performing in Mos Eisley still stood. But… maybe it wouldn't hurt to observe a bit longer, see what she could learn.
Airy notes and a spirited drum beat began in unison as the cafe's first customers filtered inside. Lorna immediately recognized the tune as a popular folk song by a famous band called The Hogruks. It wasn't among her favorites, but it was well-known in most parts of the galaxy. Ideal for drawing tips from a busy space-port cafe. She watched a Bith patron toss a few wupiupi in the performers' collection bin, which the drummer rewarded with a kind smile.
The scene before her wasn't nearly as intimidating as the ones she had built up in her mind about using her musical talents to earn money here. Perhaps she had been overly pessimistic.
I should find Obi-Wan and see what he thinks, she thought, pivoting in the direction of their meeting place.
She pivoted right into a tall being. She practically bounced off the thick, muscled figure that had evidently been standing just behind her.
"Oh, excuse me…" Lorna said, eyes glued to the ground as she moved to go around.
The figure stepped directly into her path.
"Going somewhere?" said a deep, aqueous voice that reminded Lorna of the sound of water gurgling over stones.
She finally looked up at a broad, angular face with scaled skin the color of moss and calculating violet eyes that peered at her from under a ridged brow. Taking a step back, she gulped when she saw the pair of blaster pistols at his utility belt and the butt of a massive rifle jutting out over his shoulder. The stranger crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her with a look that was much too perceptive for her liking.
"I'm very sorry, I didn't see you–"
She started to walk away but he blocked her again. "You and I are going to go have a chat, and I suggest you do not make a scene," he announced gruffly.
Before she could react, he wrapped long fingers around her upper arm and began pulling her to a nearby alleyway with surprising strength. Lorna swallowed her rising dread and swept her eyes around the marketplace, hoping Obi-Wan had come looking for her, but she did not sense him nearby.
The stranger's strength left little doubt she couldn't overpower him through ordinary means–not without using the Force. But as he guided her toward the alley's shadows, she realized its seclusion might work to her advantage. If she had to fight, better to do it away from the eyes of the public. She stopped resisting and followed him willingly. It was her best option.
He let her go once they were out of sight of the main bazaar, towering over her as she assumed a defensive stance.
"What do you want?" she growled.
He chuckled coldly and folded his arms again. Lorna felt her skin begin to heat, a tingling sensation spreading down her body as the deep green scales on his face and neck turned an alluring reddish-orange. Her breath caught as she looked into those intriguing violet eyes–
Force! What is happening?
"What are you doing to me?" she growled, trying to ignore the goosebumps prickling across her skin.
"I take it this is your first encounter with a Falleen," he said with a sneer. "You tell me what I need to know, little bird, and I'll keep my pheromones–and my blasters–to myself." He patted the holster of one of his pistols with his hand.
Pheromones. So that explained her body's strange reaction. She had never encountered a Falleen before, much less heard of their abilities, but his smug demeanor suggested he was well-practiced in exploiting this particular advantage. As she watched the heated orange color recede from his scales, the fog clouding her senses mercifully began to lift.
"I don't know anything," she said, her tone still sharp.
Was he working with the Inquisitors? Did he somehow suspect he was a Jedi? She had done nothing to give it away. How could he know?
"Where's Niko?" he demanded.
She barely managed to keep her mouth from dropping open. That was not a question she had expected him to ask.
"I don't know who that is," she answered.
"No? Then what are you doing with the Crimson Comet?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crushed tracking beacon from that day she and Obi-Wan had cataloged the ship's missing parts. "You may have destroyed my tracker but I'm guessing you didn't know about the surveillance droid."
A cruel smile twisted his lips as all of the blood drained from Lorna's face. Surveillance droid? She desperately tried to remember all that they had said and done that day while at the Comet. How much had he seen–and overheard? How long had the droid followed her and Obi-Wan? How had they not sensed it? Panic began to seethe in her gut. Her eyes shifted up and down the alley as she pleaded with the Force for Obi-Wan to find her.
"Looking for your friend? I'd like to speak to him too," the Falleen added.
"And who are you, exactly?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Let's just say I'm who the Pykes turn to when there's a problem with someone. And Niko not showing up to pick up a shipment worth millions of credits is definitely a problem."
The shipment. The one Niko was meant to pick up here on Tatooine and deliver before they went to Jabiim. He's a bounty hunter, Lorna realized, and her defensive posture relaxed slightly–she wasn't out of trouble by any means, but at least he wasn't here on behalf of the Empire. Millions of credits, though? With cargo that valuable, the payout must be substantial—enough to repair the Comet. Something clicked into place in her mind as she began crafting a plan. If she played her cards right, this could be her ticket to Jabiim.
But first, she had to pull it off. She thought of Trilla's effortless confidence, the way she could project a smug self-assurance when she needed to. She would need that now.
"The Pykes are not happy that their cargo was never received," the Falleen continued. "So I'll ask you again. Where is Niko? Who are you, and why do you have the Comet?"
Movement from one end of the alley caught her eye as Obi-Wan came barreling into it. He was immediately at her side. Lorna thought she might collapse from relief.
"What's going on here?" he demanded, putting himself between the Falleen and Lorna. She watched as, almost imperceptibly, his hand started to reach for his belt where his lightsaber should have been, as if out of a habit he had yet to break.
"I'll tell you what's going on here," Lorna spat with a condescension that would make her old friend proud. "Someone from the Pykes finally decided to get in touch with us about that pick-up."
To his credit, Obi-Wan kept any surprise he felt over her outburst carefully hidden. Their eyes met and understanding passed between them.
"What in the blazes took so long?" he said, leveling stern eyes at the Falleen.
Lorna couldn't help a sly smile of satisfaction at the utter confusion on the Falleen's face, though it was short-lived.
"Care to explain?" he asked harshly.
"Niko said someone would approach me when I arrived to pick up the cargo with the Comet. It's been weeks, and you're the first person to contact me." Lorna put her hands on her hips to project confidence.
"Why didn't Niko come himself?" the Falleen asked.
"He and Sinya got detained for questioning by the Imps. He said it wouldn't take long. Told me to take the Comet and pick up the shipment and that he'd contact me when they were released."
"And why did he send you?"
"He was onboarding me as a new crewmember on Coruscant."
The Falleen's mouth pulled into a thin line as he looked at her sidelong. She spared a glance at Obi-Wan, who had been listening carefully throughout their exchange. He nodded wordlessly. He was following her lead.
"You're telling me Niko Zanates let you take his precious Crimson Comet? Without him?"
It sounded like this bounty hunter knew Niko personally. She had to tread carefully. An idea came to her. She forced herself to relax her posture and subtly cocked one hip out to the side.
"He and Sinya trusted me to go in their place. And Niko, he… he really likes me," she said looking up at the Falleen through her eyelashes. Anyone who knew Niko knew that his vice was women. If her time at Evo's Tavern had taught her anything, it was that she… well, she was the type of woman men like Niko fancied.
Her breaths were coming shorter as she waited. She wasn't sure the bounty hunter was convinced. Perhaps he just needed a slight nudging with the Force to convince him that Niko had entrusted her with this. One arm fell from her hip and she lifted her fingers slightly, preparing to deliver that nudge.
Obi-Wan's hand was suddenly on top of hers, his grip tight with warning. She thought she saw the Falleen's eyes flicker to where their hands had moved, but he said nothing.
"My friend," Obi-Wan said to the Falleen with a smooth smile, his eyes pointedly gliding up and down Lorna's body. "Surely you can appreciate why the man was… generous with his trust."
Lorna managed to maintain the coy smile on her face, despite the flips her stomach was doing after what Obi-Wan had said. His eyes met hers briefly and the way he looked at her made her stomach flip again.
The Falleen's reptilian smile returned as his own slimy gaze evaluated Lorna. Just a hint of orange colored his cheeks. She recoiled, not bothering to hide her disgust, as her body responded. Obi-Wan inched a little closer to her.
"Heh, Niko did always have a weakness for the ones with nice asses," the Falleen said, chuckling. "But I can assure you, the Pykes do not share that weakness. If you are lying, it will mean both your and Niko's heads." He turned his attention to Obi-Wan. "And you are?"
"Her copilot," Obi-Wan answered, folding his arms and lifting his chin.
"Has Niko contacted you yet?" the Falleen asked Lorna.
"No, I haven't heard from him. And while I've been waiting to be contacted about the shipment, the Comet has been ransacked by local scavengers, I've spent half my funds on provisions, and I've even had to hire a copilot since Niko still hasn't shown up!" She glared at the Falleen, crossing her arms indignantly.
Violet eyes shifted between Lorna and Obi-Wan as the bounty hunter weighed their story. The tension between the three of them was so thick it could be cut with a lightsaber blade. Lorna held her breath.
"The Pykes will not be pleased that Niko got himself in Imperial trouble. But the job still needs to be completed. If you can get it done you might still get the payout and save lover boy's skin from the Pykes after the Imps are done with him."
Lorna let out the breath she'd been holding in relief.
"What about your pay?" Obi-Wan asked.
"This job is high-priority. The Pykes don't care who delivers it as long as it gets done. That's why they sent me–to make sure their investment didn't disappear with Niko." His eyes narrowed at her. "Now I can tell them you will finish the job, and I get my cut."
"Where is the cargo?" Lorna asked.
"Your contact is a Toydarian named Usto Nug. He went off-world for another gig, but he'll be back in Mos Espa for the Boonta Eve race in two weeks. You can arrange everything with him."
"The Comet's not going anywhere until it's repaired," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"You're lucky whoever stripped it didn't find the stabilizer compartment, otherwise we wouldn't even be having this conversation." The bounty hunter smirked.
Lorna remembered that secret compartment in the floor of the cargo hold with all of the advanced tech. If that had something to do with this job, then maybe spice wasn't the cargo after all. And what did he mean that they wouldn't even be having this conversation? She didn't dare ask the Falleen–if she revealed she didn't even know what she was supposed to be delivering, it would blow a pretty big hole in her story.
"I no longer have the funds for repairs," she said, letting a hint of accusation slip into her tone.
"That's outside the scope of my directive. You'll have to take it up with Usto. This failure has him on edge–who knows, he might be willing to work with you. Two weeks, Mos Espa. I suggest you be there." His scales flickered orange as his gaze lingered on Lorna. "See you in two weeks, little bird."
His smile widened before he strode away, his heavy boots scuffing the dirt walkway.
Lorna sagged against the building behind her, the rough stone cool against her head as she released a shaky breath.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Obi-Wan scanned her with an anxiousness that both surprised and touched her.
"No, I'm fine. Though I wouldn't mind never experiencing Falleen pheromones again." She attempted a weak smile.
Obi-Wan's eyes hardened. "That was very uncouth on his part," he said, his expression tense as he folded his arms. "Bounty hunters," he added with disgust.
"I can't believe he–", Lorna began.
"We need to get out of here. Now." He cut her off as he headed in the direction of the eopie.
The suddenness with which his ire seemed to shift to her caught her off guard, but she swallowed her protests. Once again, they needed to be far from Mos Eisley before continuing this discussion.
"When I went to use the Force to convince the bounty hunter," Lorna began once the city was behind them, "why did you stop me?"
"Falleen's minds are resistant to the influence of the Force. If you had, you would have aroused his suspicion at the very least, if not outright exposed yourself as a Force user."
"Oh," she said, blood coloring her cheeks. She had known some species boasted this resistance, but did not know Falleen were among them.
The rush of blood spread further as she remembered what Obi-Wan had said about her to help convince the Falleen, the hunger in his eyes as he'd made a show of appreciating her form. The attention should have made her skin crawl. But Obi-Wan…
He had been playing along with her lie, of course. Hadn't he? She was too flustered to ask. And what difference would it make? She would not, could not let it change her course. It was not the Jedi way.
"Thank you for interfering, then," was her only reply.
"Toydarians share the same resistance," he added, his tone still clipped. "So do not attempt it when you meet with him either."
This, she had known. Her time on Toydaria with Master Secura during the Clone Wars had taught her as much. They had spent months there after Master Yoda secured the planet's allegiance, training Toydarian troops. But with Obi-Wan's mood still sour, she kept silent, offering only a nod.
Their route took them past the Comet once more. The surveillance droid hovered openly now, its red sensor eye tracking their movement. They rode on without stopping, the desert stretching endlessly before them. Lorna glanced back, watching the droid grow smaller against the shimmering horizon until it disappeared entirely.
"It's not following," Lorna said quietly.
"That model does not have that kind of range," he replied. "Its operational base must be on his ship in the city. It probably cannot go much further unless he moves his ship, but then he would lose his eyes on the Comet."
"I wonder how long he's been tracking us." She inhaled sharply. "You don't think it followed us home before, do you?" Her body went rigid in the eopie's saddle as all the worst possible scenarios played out in her head.
"I have security sensors set up at home–we may not have detected it while we were in the city but I would have known if it had followed us out that far."
"How did we miss it? When we were in the city–"
"I will not let that happen again." His voice was low, ill-tempered.
"Obi-Wan, I missed it too…"
"I knew there would be risks in letting you stay here. I should not have allowed myself to become so… complacent. And you'll recall I've asked you not to call me that."
Lorna's mouth snapped shut. Was he regretting his decision to train her, to let her stay? The thought stung more than it should have. She had thought... well, what had she thought? That the quiet moments they'd shared, the growing ease between them during training, meant more than mere circumstance? That he saw her as more than just an inconvenient responsibility? That he was comfortable enough with her to drop the ridiculous alias? Why had she been so ready to believe he would help her with this? He had made his desires clear from the beginning–to be left alone with his homestead.
"I never meant to compromise your safety," she said quietly, hating how small her voice sounded. "If you don't want any part in this meeting with the Toydarian—"
"This is a very dangerous game you're playing, Lorna," he cut in. "The Pykes are not common criminals. They're murderers, slavers. During the war, I saw firsthand the depths of their depravity. And they have no qualms about working with the Sith."
Something inside her snapped and anger burned hot in her veins. "I am not a youngling," she hissed. "I have seen war… I have seen the depths the galaxy's depravity."
"Then why are you so eager to run right back into it?" His voice pitched higher, his frustration growing.
"You're the one who told me to be patient and let the Force provide a means for me to repair the Comet and get to Jabiim. Well, here it is." She snatched the eopie's reins from him and halted the creature so she could dismount. She spun to look at him furiously.
There was a rawness to his expression that told her she should stop before she said something hurtful, but in the moment, her wounded pride won out. "I will go to the meeting alone. And when I'm done with this job, I'll leave for Jabiim and you can go back to the solitary life you so prefer."
She stormed out ahead of him, determined to walk the rest of the way home. She felt the tangle of emotions in him that she left in her wake, a twisted knot of feeling that she didn't understand, but he let her go.
I'll leave for Jabiim and you can go back to the solitary life you so prefer. Her own harsh words echoed in her head. She regretted them immediately, unsure what had triggered this uncharacteristic outburst in the first place. But that was the plan, wasn't it? It had always been the plan. Yet the thought snagged in her mind, like a thread that had come loose on her robe. A thread she dared not tug, lest the entire garment unravel.
By the time she reached the homestead, sweat was dripping down her back under her tunic, her sand-swept hair messier than a womp rat's nest. The stifling air inside the hut only emphasized how badly she needed a shower—which she still couldn't have without running water. With a sigh, she removed her outer garments until she wore only her sleeveless undershirt and pants. With a cloth and jug of water, she headed into the fresher and set to work, conserving water by focusing on the worst of the grime.
The sound of footsteps on the hut's threshold let her know Obi-Wan had arrived. She said nothing and lathered some of his soap on her washcloth. She wasn't ready to face him. The door to the hut slid open and his footsteps paused as he probed the hut for her Force signature. He located her, then withdrew.
When she felt assured her stench was no longer intolerable, she joined him in the main living area. He had been seated in their single chair, but he stood quickly when she exited the fresher. The defeated hunch to his shoulders sent a wave of guilt through her.
She forced herself to stand before him. His eyes flickered briefly across the exposed skin of her shoulders before finding sudden fascination with the worn grain of the table's surface. She ignored the fluttering in her stomach.
"Ben… I'm sorry," she said, wringing her hands together. "I'm sorry for being so cross with you. You've shown me nothing but generosity since I arrived. Your desire to stay hidden here… it's not my business–"
"Lorna," he began, but she was barely listening, and pressed on.
"You are right to be concerned about this whole thing with the Pykes. But I have to find Niko and Sinya. I have to find the Path. And I don't expect—"
His palm settled on her bare shoulder, silencing her.
"I will help you deal with the Pykes," he said, his voice resolute, though conflict swirled in his eyes as she finally met them. Her heart stuttered.
"You don't…" The words died on her lips as his thumb brushed her skin, sending a shiver through her despite the heat.
"I could hardly let you face them alone." His voice was barely above a whisper. "You shall have my aid. At least until you can safely complete this delivery."
An unexpected relief flooded through her, exposing a truth she hadn't let herself acknowledge.
"Thank you," she said softly. She resisted the urge to close the distance between them, to let the gravitational pull of his touch on her shoulder draw her into a grateful embrace.
His hand dropped to his side and the feeling faded, leaving her adrift, her focus slowly returning to her. Her hand flew to the back of her neck as she took a step backward, trying to rebuild the appropriate distance between them.
"We have a lot of work to do," she said.