In the Path of Revan

Season 1 Episode 2.2 - First Impressions

"Who's the fat-ass?"

Anakin instantly knew whose voice uttered these words. The Force stilled briefly in the room, and the Knight knew without a doubt in him that everyone heard it. Master Windu, General Kota, Obi-Wan, the clone captains and soldiers alike. Everyone.

Even Jabba the Hutt. Of course, since it was directed at him.

Anakin was a split moment away from taking his new Padawan away and finding some way of disciplining him when he saw Snips practically drag Varus out in embarrassment. He didn't doubt for a second that she was going to give him a piece of her mind, and he would have some more words to back it up, but that didn't help ease his nerves at the feeling that every single eye in the room had shifted onto... him.

Mace Windu was displeased; unsurprised, but displeased. Dear old Obi was just flat out displeased. The clones were shocked numb. They had probably never heard a Jedi use a negative remark of any kind before, and never one used in such a... bold fashion.

The child inside Skywalker wanted to cringe and hide under the closest desk, and the man wanted to hide behind Padme, but the General and Jedi side of him knew he needed to take responsibility for his student's behavior. Windu and Kenobi he could handle without hurt feelings easily with the simple, basic, and real excuse that the student was VERY much new to all of this.

The one Anakin was afraid of offending was Jabba.

They were just in the middle of trade negotiations for medigel. Jabba owned one of the largest water worlds where the compounds for medigel were easy to farm and manufacture. The Republic owned a great many of such rare worlds themselves, but for them to gain access to trade with yet another, with the expensive tariffs, could potentially increase their clones survival rate by 15-17%. When dealing with numbers in the trillions, 15% was a very large amount.

The Jedi were willing to aid him in 'relieving' some of the voices of rebellion on Tatooine in return for it. Supposedly Jabba came out with the lesser end of the bargain in this deal, but Anakin was growing used to politics. For the Jedi to come as peace keepers to a Hutt's world, would appear as though the Jedi were close with the Hutts and supported them. Anakin disliked it. He disliked Hutts. Whether it was from him being born a slave, raised a slave, raised around slaves, or just knowing what Hutts got their filthy hands on beyond slavery, he didn't much like them.

He didn't want to support them. It would strengthen their holds on their, literally, poor people through a religious voice behind them, but he was a good Jedi Knight of the Republic. Millions of worlds were at stake every move in this war.

So as much a part of him wanted to smirk at his student's BOLD words, he had to play the part of the peacekeeper who was utterly revolted by such behavior.

To his credit, Jabba was only marginally insulted.

The large slug grumbled, "Heesa chuba chowbasa Tatooine. Da wermo... Jee Fierfek da schutta!"

Translated loosely it means: "That boy is not permitted on Tatooine! The boy... I curse him!" Along with some cursing and swearing. He put a black mark on the boy. If Varus ever set foot on Jabba's territory, he would be executed.

"I assure you, Lord Jabba," Obi-Wan said diplomatically, "The youngling does not speak for us. He is very much new to us and our ways." He directed a heavy gaze in Skywalker's direction.

"Mo gootu!"

Obi-Wan managed to clear the air, but the rest of negotiations didn't go quite as well as it could have been.

Jabba concluded the meeting to go and return to his amusement. The Jedi Knight was pretty sure 'amusement' involved a combination of erotic or porn shows, and a great deal of executions and the suppressing of his 'people'. Then there was staring at himself in the mirror and feeling like a god in an enchilada.