Worth: A Star Wars Story (ON TEMP HIATUS)

37. The Sandstorm

We were on day six when we finally got word that negotiations were supposed to finally get formally underway to hash out terms for an official agreement for the trade routes. Everything was supposed to get meted out and finalized, and once again, we weren't being allowed in to see it. As frustrating as it was, it was something that we just had to accept for the sake of diplomacy, no matter how insulting it was on a personal level. To the credit of my boys, they didn't seem to take much of it to heart. I figured it was likely because it gave us a chance to relax - if you could call it that - for a little while by comparison. Red had Akashem and the Bantha to keep him occupied, and the rest of us had found things to do in the daylight hours when we found ourselves without a whole lot to do.

I was hanging out on one of the lookout towers. There was a Weequay working that one that wasn't all that bad, so I tended to go up in his tower to get a lay of the land while he kept watch. I could see a massive wall of sand rising over the horizon in the distance without even needing macrobinoculars. "When do you think it'll hit?" I asked, turning to the Weequay.

He turned and looked at the incoming sandstorm and sighed, "Not too sure... Judging how fast it's going, if it keeps it up... Maybe by midday? Early afternoon, about? Hope your dplomat wraaps it up so we can get insde. There's usually more than sand in these storms. Don't wanna get caught out in them unless you have to."

"More than sand?" I turned to the Weequay, who in turn looked to me. 

He snorted, "Sand People. Those crazies from that cave to the west of here have been attacking us every time the sandstorms kick up. We lose a few men every time."

Outside of Akashem, we hadn't even heard or seen anything from the Tuskens, either. That was also giving me a bit of pause, if I was being honest. As the hours dragged by and the sandstorm drew ever closer, I started getting a bad feeling about the whole mess. Something in my gut was starting to make me anxious. I departed the watchtower and gathered the boys, and we all amde our way to the meetimg room and walked inside to find Talani and Talen standing before Shebmulla, who was reading over the terms and conditions of the document that Talani's translator droid had produced and given to him. I strode up and leaned in close to her, "Ma'am, there's a sandstorm in. Local reports say that the Tuskens like to attack. We're here for your safety."

Talani nodded as Shebmulla's majordomo, a skinny Rodian, scoffed, "And why are they here?"

"A sandstorm is brewing," Talani asserted as I watched Talen's eyes lock onto Shebmulla, who looked slowly up from the document, "and they are here to ensure that we make it back to our quarters since everything is almost done."

Talen shifted, and I looked down at his hand. He gave a tiny gesture forward towards Shebmulla.

He's planning something.

Talani seemed to pick up on it, too. "Shebmulla," she gave a little bow, "feel free to take time to read it over and sign at your leisure. We really should..."

Shebmulla tossed the document aside and began to speak, and Talani's translator droid hesitated before turning to her, "The Great Shebmulla said... that you and the Jedi will make for good bargaining chips for the Republic..." That was when the doors shot open and, sure enough, out came the Pykes. Somehow, I figured something like this was going to happen.

The Pykes came out of nowhere about the time Shebmulla retreated laughing into his palace. I grabbed Talani as Grek kicked a table over and flung her down behind it was we all slid to it for cover. The translator droid was the first casualty, and it would be the last if I could help it. 

"We need to break for the entrance!" I looked at the rest of my squad, Talani, and Talen.

"I'll cover you!" Talen nodded and went to stand, but I caught him.