Conflict And Balance [Star Wars AU]

Chapter 13

The spaceport was busy, filled with people and cargo. There were loud alarms that blared as a ship docked or took off. Speeders flew overhead him and he wondered what would happen if the hovering crafts were to suddenly shut down. A cold wind blew, reminding him of the sick aura, but he focused on getting the droids back.

Ahsoka approached the pilot, gently pushing away busy people in her way and ignored their dirty stares. As she went to the vicinity of the docking bay, the droids beeped enthusiastically but were turned off by the panicked Wookie. The pilot acknowledged her presence and stopped unloading cargo, facing her.

"Any problem lady?" he asked, wiping his dirty hands with a cloth his Wookie gave him.

"No." She offered him a kind but deceptive smile. "I was just admiring the droids; they're a wonder aren't they?"

"Yeah? Well, they are, although most of the time they're trouble, especially the golden rod." He grinned confidently, scratch that, overconfidently, and casually leaned on one of his ship's landing gear but she still noticed his tightness.

"Say," she probed, putting her finger on her chin, "how much for the droids?"

This was the easiest, but most expensive way out. She knew that all smugglers cared about was money, so it would be her plaything to get what she wanted. However, it failed as she saw skeptism on the man's features.

"Who are you again?"

"Ashoka...Maurya," she answered the quickest she could, careful to keep fillers out of her speech. "And yes, I'm asking these droids from you. So how much? I could go from 17000 to 70000."

That was the same sum the Rebels on Tatooine offered. The pilot covered his mouth with his hand, looking back and forth from the droids to the Togruta before him. In deep thought, he took a glance at his Wookie partner who just shrugged.

He noted that a blonde had joined the woman but remained indifferent. However, the offer from the other party was much more tempting.

"I'm sorry, but I'm currently waiting for the buyer." He raised his hands in the air in surrender and backed away. "They're not for sale as they have already been bought."

"Oh," the blonde sighed in disappointment and noticed the suspicious looks of the man. "I'm with her. Where did you say you got these droids from?"

"A deal on Tatooine, why?"

Wherever this was headed, Luke knew it was not working. His charisma seemed to have failed him with persuasion, now they have to rely on interrogation and manipulation. They could sense a feeling of skeptism and suspicion from the pilot and the eerie sense of the Dark Side near them.

"That was the last known location of our Rebel friends," Ahsoka spoke up, "and I believe they had these droids with them."

"Nice try," the man snapped, and shoved them aside as he began unloading the cargo. "I'm not gonna sell them to you."

Luke had expected Ahsoka to sigh in defeat, but things took a dark turn.

"Who said that was a choice?" Her hand was now on her belt where her stun blaster was and his had a similar position. There was a sudden tension that built up, as if the two were prepared to duel. "Now explain why you have the Rebel Alliance's lost droids."

The pilot hesitated, scratching his scruffy hair. "Look, lady, I don't know but..." In a quick motion, too quick for Luke to see, he pointed his blaster at them and shot.

If they were normal beings, they would've died then and there, but the Force warned the Jedi. Panicked, he tackled Ahsoka to the ground as a red bolt shot past them at light speed.