"...Obi-Wan, you're sure there isn't anything of value left on board?"
Qui-Gon's com-link crackled against static for a moment as he waited for a response. He and the others had managed to find a quiet alcove between two buildings off the main road. The busy street beyond was filled with a writhing crowd of dangerous looking creatures, all of whom had noticed that their group was obviously out of place. The longer they stayed, the more ominous the air became. His thoughts returned to the young children he had just met. The force worked in mysterious ways, he knew that much, but to stumble across two force-sensitive children in the middle of the desert?
Another garbled noise came across the com-link and Qui-Gon held it close to his ear while Jar Jar nervously watched the street.
"A few containers of supplies, the Queen's wardrobe, maybe. Not enough for you to barter with. Not in the amounts you're talking about." Obi-wan replied incredulously
Qui-Gon furrowed his eyebrows, dust irritating his skin as he pondered on possible options. His mind wondered to the children again.
"All right. Another solution will present itself. I'll check back."
Qui-Gon tucked his com-link away into his robes and started out into the main street, Padme and Jar Jar tailing behind me. Jar Jar let out a squeak as a large alien with a mean face shouldered past him.
"Noah gain... da beings hereabouts cawazy. Wesa be robbed un crunched." Jar Jar said nervously.
"Not likely. We have nothing of value, that's our problem." Qui-Gon retorted ruefully.
They moved further down the street, Jar Jar walking farther behind the others. They walked by an outdoor cafe filled with a rough gang of aliens, one of which was an especially ugly spider-like creature. Jar Jar stopped for a moment in front of a stall selling dead frogs hanging on a wire. He looked around to see if anyone was looking, then stuck out his tongue, grabbing hold of one and pulling it into his mouth. Unfortunately, the frog was tied tightly to a wire, and vendor suddenly appears.
"Hey, that will be seven truguts!!"
Jar Jar opened his mouth in surprise, and the frog snapped away, ricocheting around the market, and landed in the spider creature's soup, splashing him. As Jar Jar moved away from the vendor, the spider creature jumped up on the table and grabber the hapless Gungan.
"You!" It said menacingly
"Who, mesa??" Jar Jar said in a terrified voice
"Is this yours?"
He held the frog up to the Gungan threateningly. Several other creatures started to gather around them. The creature, named Sebulba, shoved Jar Jar to the ground.
"Why mesa always da one??" Jar Jar said to himself as he tried to scramble to safety.
"Because you're afraid."
Qui Gon turned to see the young girl and little Anakin pushing their way through the crowd towards Jar Jar. Pushing Jar Jr out of the way, Qui Gon watched as the girl raised herself to her tallest height, standing in front of Anakin and eying Sebulba down her nose in an astute way.
"Careful, Sebulba... This one's very connected", she said suggestively to him.
Selbulba stopped his assault on Jar Jar and turned to Meira, muttering out the foreign language as he stared down at her small stature.
"Connected? Whada you mean, girl?" He responded, looking down on her.
"As in Hutt... big time outlander, this one... I'd hate to see you diced before you and Anakin race again." She retorted.
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Chronicles of Atalanta (B1) | Anakin Skywalker
FanfictionAmeirala Atalanta had always been different. Abandoned as a child and taken in by strangers on the desert planet of Tattoine, she had always felt strange. She saw strange things in the dreams that clouded her sleep, heard distance voices that others...
