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The barkeep signaled me over. I had noticed him arguing with two rather pretty, young females earlier, and apparently they were back.
I sighed, told the two moisture farmers not to steal anything or cheat, because I would be right back, and walked over.
"What do you want, Hanz? I was enjoying my game. Why did you disturb me?"
"You were probably cleanin' them out of their earnings, too! Still, it's good for business when you're in the area, Pilot Nom! You bring in more folks to try and beat you at sabaac than a good fight!"
"Get to the point, Hanz. I do not trust those two moisture farmers not to steal anything or cheat."
"Just as blunt as ever. All right then, these two pretty ladies, Seijoutai Priire and Fuukoo Ippin, need an extra pilot with passenger room. They've talked to just about every pilot in Mos Espa. Everyone says try you. They decide to ask you."
Hanz smiled and walked off.
I swore silently. I had no desire for Hanz to arrange for potential customers to talk to me. But I did need the work. Oh well. "I am Nom Da'Gara. What is it that you require?" I asked.
"Well, for starters, we need somewhere to discuss matters. That'll do for now, " the blond one Hanz had called Seijoutai Priire said.
"Very well. Come with me. I must finish this game and we will talk." Both of them watched as I finished cleaning out the moisture farmers. A couple of times as I Force-felt one of the farmers, the orange-tipped one, Fuukoo Ippin looked suprised and whispered something to Seijoutai Priire. I was not suprised. She could feel the Force.
"Well, Pilot Nom, you are as good as Calynn said. May we never meet in a tournament or high stakes game." And with that, she walked away. "Now sit. Why do you require me and my ship? You could hire just about anybody in the place. Why me?"
"We need a well armored, well armed ship and a very skilled pilot. You are considered one of the best in Mos Espa. That is recommendation in itself. Your ship is considered overarmed for a freighter. That is also what we need. We have too much cargo to take the people we need to take. We required another ship to go with us to Coruscant," said Seijoutai Priire. I sighed. "Do either of you play sabaac?"
"Yes, I do. Why?"
"Good. You, Fuukoo Ippin, will be playing for your passage. I win, I pay. You win, you pay. Force sabaac. Understand?"
"Sure. You're on."
I signaled Hanz over. "I need a deck of honest sabaac cards."
"Hey, Pilot? Would you mind if people watched? Not many people play Force sabaac. It would really bring in business."
I thought a moment. Hanz did need the business, and he was a decent fellow. "Sure. Why not? I do not think Mistress Fuukoo would mind, do you?"
"No."
"Oh, boy! That's wonderful. A big game. Honest cards, Force sabaac, and it's two pilots!" Hanz said as he walked off.
"He gets excited over the most interesting things, doesn't he?" asked Ippin.
"Yes."
Hanz brought the cards, and we started. She was good, all right, just not quite good enough. I did not use the Force either. When it comes to passage on my ship I do not use it. I won after two standard hours of play.
I stood after the crowd had wandered off and bowed. "I will see you on the outskirts of town. The ship is dull grey with green trim. It is the Mind's Eye. You have exactly one hour."
After they left, and I ate, I paid Hanz and told him good bye. I headed toward the outskirts.
Fifteen minutes later, Priire and Ippin arrived at the ship without their people.
"Good. You are on time. This is the Mind's Eye. If you heard around town about its hyperdrive exploding, do not worry. I pushed it too hard to point eight. It does not go that fast unless I want to work for a new hyperdrive. It will be a safe trip. Your people must be at your ship. How will they get her?"
"We hired a dewback to get there and here. Priire wants you to see her ship."
"That is fine with me, Ippin. Let us go."
We got there and I examined her ship. It was not a bad ship and I said so. What happened next was not my fault. At least, I do not think it was.
"Wha...?! How dare you? I have not been insulted like this in my life! I will punish you for this!" said Priire, her eyes growing cold and cruel.
"Aster, don't lose your temper. It's all right. Do not lose your temper." Warned Ippin.
"Coru, she insulted my ship. It is NOT all right! If I need your help in this matter, I will tell you. "
"Fine. Aster, just don't kill her."
I snorted. "If I was worrried about her killing me, I would have already started. Do not worry about me, worry about her."
Priire shouted something I did not quite catch and became very ruthless looking.
I sighed and whispered a spell. I did not like using the Force storm, but it looked like I had no choice. I gathered every bit of energy and the characteristic wind came up. I made my voice as cold and hard as I could and told Priire, "If you do not stop this foolishness RIGHT NOW, I will destroy your ship."
She stopped. I dropped the storm.
A human male came in and asked what in the name of the Force was going on. From that one question, I knew that he was a male witch, a Jai. Those who fight for life itself and cannot die. Their bodies will die, but they will not die.
"I was what happened, Warrior of Life. Mistress Priire lost her temper and I reacted."
All of their group had come in and a smaller girl pushed her way through and said in a manner-of-fact way, "Witch. You are a Witch of Dathomir."
"Koumi, why do you say that?" asked the Jai.
"She says it because it is true. I am a witch of Dathomir. Her Force aura tastes like Yoda trained her. Yoda visited Dathomir nearly four hundred years ago." I interrupted.
"If you are done with discovery time, we must arrange a time to leave Tatooine. If you are going to sleep on board, you must find a spot and prepare it. Also, does anybody know how to shoot on a ship?"
Nobody answered but Kirin. "I can shoot, Zyta can shoot, and I believe that Kousotsu Renjiro can shoot. Why?"
I replied," I believe in being prepared. Have you eaten?"
Everybody shook their head.
"Does anybody have any suggestions as to who should help me?"
They all had one suggestion. Let Zyta watch and run errands. But do not let her cook.
I managed to cook some pretty good nerf medallions, Alderaanian flatbread, and some kind of greens Zyta found on Ippin's ship. The meal was not too bad considering it was spur of the moment cooking. Of course, me being a somewhat perfectionist for cooking, I thought the nerf medallions were sort of tough, but everyone else liked them. Hmm. Maybe I should consider a career in cooking.
After everyone finished, we all headed to where ever we were sleeping. Some of them to the passenger bay, some of them to the stateroom, and some to the bunkroom with me. I collapsed on my pallet of rancor hides and slept.
"OOOOEEEEEP. OOOOEEEEEP."
I shot out of sleep, looked at my chrono, and swore. I'd been asleep for twenty minutes.
"What's going on? " I asked Koumi.
"A Sailor Sith has found us. If you can help, witch, we would appreciate it."
"Sure. What do I have to do?"
"Help us fight." She said.
With that, she walked out.
"Shavit. If I get killed, the Jedi Council gets my ship. Understood, Eye?"
"OOP."
"Let's go."
I stepped out into the fight of the universe. I saw blood, gore and it did not look like we were winning. I started to lose my temper, when suddenly I saw my clan mother. I had not seen her since I destroyed the clan. She was whispering these five words, "Dathomir Witch Power Make-UP!" over and over again.
I knew what to do. I shouted, "DATHOMIR WITCH POWER MAKE-UP!" Suddenly, the battle was in slow motion. I saw a female with pink hair suddenly turn and look at me. She screamed in frustration.
"Why can we not rid ourselves of you?!"
"We fight for life itself. We are like the Jai. We will always triumph. I am the Senshi who fights for Life, Justice and Truth! I am Sailor Dathomir!! We have your kind on my planet, and we do not tolerate them anymore than I do you! Stone River Obliviate! Take that, you slimey Sailor Sith! Ha!"
"ARRR! You have ruined my suit! You will pay for this one day, weakling! Sith Transport!"
After everyone got cleaned up, I explained what had happened.
"I just started to lose my temper, and then saw my clan mother. She started to chant those words, and I said them."
"Well, Witch, you did make Kougo Ada mad, so start watching your back." Koumi warned me.
"I will. Thank you. Now, can we get some sleep? I really want to get to Coruscant on time. Good night."
I fell right into sleep, dreaming of the mad look on the Sith Queen's face when I destroyed her outfit.
Read more about the Senshi in this story:
Nom/Sailor Dathomir
Priire/Aster/Sailor Asteroid
Ippin/Coru/Sailor Yavin
Kirin/Sailor Hoth
Zyta/Sailor Tatooine
Koutsotsu/Tuxedo Jedi
Koumi/Sailor Kessel
Kendra/Kougo Ada
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