Altiris Knights: The Return

Chapter 2:Trading

By early morning, the storm had died down, and as the sun rose, all the clouds had cleared.

Verlan, Jolara and their mother enjoyed a breakfast of fresh pancakes and jam out in their small yard, relaxing in the cool morning breeze. 

"Mom, can we go to the market today? Maybe exchange what we found at the scrap yard yesterday?" asked Jolara. "Of course. Just help me with the dishes and clean your room. Then, you can go", Jenna replied.

They finished breakfast, and after a few hours of chores, including helping their mother with a few errands, they sat down for lunch.

"Be careful there. And be back before dark", Jenna told them, after they finished lunch. She handed them some money, and they set off to the market.

A wide range of goods were being traded and bought. Anything from cleaning supplies, to food and various instruments and equipment. Verlan and Jolara were mostly interested in the spare parts section, where old Kor, the village story teller, sometimes traded stuff himself. 

Jolara saw an older man in a Search Team uniform talking to Kel, a trader, and the siblings came up to investigate.

"If you have any parts I can use, I can give you a good sum. I've been having some problems with this blaster. All the technical specialists here are busy with more important things", the man said, putting his blaster on the counter.

"Let me have a look. Trigger?" the trader said, examining the weapon. "Gear box", the man replied. "What mark is this?" the trader asked. "LK-76", the man said. I think I have something for you", the trader said, taking the blaster apart. He examined the gear box, and bent down, rummaging through a crate. "Here. This one should work", the trader said, putting a new gear box into the blaster, and re assembled it. The man pulled the trigger, and the weapon clicked, in a sharp, clean sound. 

"Thank you", the man said. "30 Sol", the trader said. The man handed him the money, and walked off, blaster at his side.

"Good day, kids. What can I do for you?" Kel said, as Verlan and Jolara came up to the counter. "We have some electrical stuff from the scrap yard. It seems to be working", Verlan said. "Let me see that", the trader requested, as Verlan emptied their small bag onto the counter. 

The man connected the wires and the batteries to an old radio, and activated it. At first, it only crackled. Then, the crackle was replaced with a soft, steady humming sound. 

"Pretty good. How about those coins?" Kel asked. Jolara passed them over. Kel dipped the 6 coins into a dark green solution, revealing the shine of the copper and bronze metal. "Those are not in use anymore. However, they are certainly good for a collector. Take these to Fiena. She will surely appreciate them. And as for this, well, I can either give you 12 Sol, or a voucher at Gunter's Grill. What would you like?" Kel said. "Voucher", Jolara said, after the two talked it over. 

"Alright, here you go. Take the coins to Fiena. And stay out of trouble, you two", Kel said. They thanked him, and went to Fiena's stand. An avid collector of antique products, Fiena gratefully accepted the coins, and handed them an old commlink with a repair kit, along with instructions.

"Do you have the sword with you?" Jolara asked, when they were out of hearing range. "Yes", Verlan replied. "Maybe we shouldn't, on second thought. What if he gives us away?" Jolara said. "He won't. He is too kind for that", Verlan replied, though he himself was unsure if that was true.

They decided to risk it, and knocked on his door. About a minute later, the door opened, and Kor's old face appeared. He smiled upon seeing them, and beckoned them in.

"How have you two been?" the old man asked, pouring them some tea. "Good. How about you?" Verlan said. "A bit tired. But otherwise fine", Kor replied. "We found something at the scrap yard yesterday. We thought you might find it interesting", Verlan said, handing him the energy sword. Kor's eyes widened slightly, but otherwise, there was no reaction.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked, seemingly more energized. "A Knight's energy sword. And it works, too", Jolara said. 

"Indeed. Though the uriaks now dominate the galaxy, their influence is not as vast as they would like. The fact that the Search Team has not found this before you did, is just one indication of that. Now, it is improper, for such an elegant weapon to be as dirty as it is. It is, after all, a symbol just as much as it is a weapon", Kor said. 

He got up, and retrieved a clean cloth and a cleaning solution, and began thoroughly cleaning the weapon, getting rid of all the blemishes. Jolara and Verlan watched, as the old man examined the weapon's every part, meticulously getting rid of the smallest specks of dirt. He then polished the weapon, leaving it shinier than silver ware. The old man's dedication fascinated them as much as it puzzled them. 

What was it that seemed to enthrall him so much? What connection, if any, he had to the Knights? And why did he not send them away immediately, or have them taken away by guards the moment he saw it in their possession? All these questions floated around in their heads as they watched him work, but they did not dare voice them, mesmerized by the results.

"There we go. Good as new. Now, take good care of it. Make sure it remains hidden. And keep out of trouble yourselves", Kor said, as they finished their tea. They exited his home, and waved him goodbye. They then went to Gunter's Grill, and spent their voucher on large portions of chicken parmigiana, what they could only have a few times throughout the year at home. 

...

"How was it? Did you have a good time?" their mother asked when they got back home. "Yes. We exchanged everything we had, for a commlink and repair kit, and a voucher at Gunter's Grill, for helping fix Kel's radio", Jolara replied.

"Good. We need a new commlink. We haven't been able to talk with your father in months since the old one broke", Jenna said. 

After a light dinner, the two siblings tinkered with the commlink, and managed to fix it.

They and their mother were able to contact their father for the first time in nearly 6 months, and talked late into the night, catching up on everything they missed.