It Came from Nar Shaddaa: Chapter 3

Dustil looked around the office one last time before deciding to leave. 'There really is no one here.'

'Really?'

Dustil jumped at the now-familiar voice. 'What are you doing here?'

'How did you get that door to cave in?' The strange woman asked.

'I asked you first.'

'I want to know how you got the door to cave in.' the strange woman replied.

'That really isn't any of your concern.'

'And it really wasn't any of you're concern where the previous tenants of this building went, but I still answered all of your questions.'

'You told me you didn't know were they had gone!'

'Still, my knowledge of the inhabitant's whereabouts is none of your concern.' the woman coolly replied.

'What knowledge? You don't know anything!

The woman paused for a moment. 'That's irrelevant.' She finally shot back.

'Really? Well then, what exactly is relevant?'

'What is relevant is the fact that you, my friend, have a problem'

'And how exactly is that any of your concern, my friend ?'

The woman, once again, took a short pause to gather her thoughts. 'Well...it isn't really...But, as I seem to recall mentioning earlier it was none of your concern....'

'It was none of my concern where the previous tenets of this building gallivanted off to. I recall you mentioning that as well. I'm assuming that you have a point in confronting me about my own problems so lets just dump the slick talk and get to the point, shall we?' Dustil fired at the woman in annoyed tone.

'Fine!' the woman fired back. 'I know that there is an insane amount of kolto blocking you're way off this planet. I also know that you're a Jedi on a mission from the council. You need to get that kolto on the ship and, as strapping a young man as you may be, you can't load a shipload of kolto by yourself.'

Dustil was stunned. 'How did you...'

'I had inside connections, remember?'

'So the vendor...'

'The vendor knew all of this and more. If I had to guess he probably didn't want anything else to do with the Jedi so he skipped town.'

Dustil stood there for a few minutes, every muscle in his body was tense and his head began to throb. He was weary about the next question to roll off his tongue, but he knew he had to ask. 'And what do you intend to do with this information?'

'I intend to help you.'

Dustil eyed the shrouded figure suspiciously. 'You want to help ?'

'Is that so hard to believe?'

'You would help a perfect stranger load a shipload of kolto with no profit for yourself?'

'I don't recall saying I wouldn't benefit from this service.'

'Oh, I see! Well can't blame you for wanting a reward for a good deed there sweetheart , but if its credits you're after...'

'All I need is a ride to Coruscant'

'A ride to Coruscant?'

'That's it.'

Dustil chuckled, 'You want me to take a strange woman from Nar Shaddaa, who feels the need to hide her face from the galaxy, on my borrowed ship...with millions of credits worth of kolto on board, with me on a trip across the galaxy to Coruscant?'

'More or less.' The stranger was thankful that Dustil couldn't see the look of worry on her face. 'You know, I'm not originally from Nar Shaddaa.' she added, trying to appear naive and innocent.

Dustil could feel the woman grow anxious through the force, but after a moment he felt her try to hide her feelings. This only caused him to grow more suspicious of her. 'Well, the way I see it, there are only three problems with you're request.'

'Why do I get the feeling this is going to turn into a lecture?' the stranger sighed to herself.

'One:' Dustil continued, 'You're a stranger, who, during the trip, will have more than one opportunity to shove me out the airlock and take over the ship.'

The woman said nothing, perhaps he had struck a nerve.

Dustil continued, 'Two: You're a strange woman . Do you know what kind of trouble I would get in if the Jedi council (not to mention my father) found out I had been riding through space in a crammed space ship... alone with a woman? I mean, I don't know how much you know about Jedi but they forbid ...'

'Whoa there!' the stranger interrupted, 'The way I see it there are only two problems with that conclusion...One: You are giving yourself way too much credit. And I don't even want to know why you thought about...never mind.' Dustil turned from the figure and began to blush; he hadn't meant it like that. 'Two:' the stranger continued, 'We wouldn't be alone.'

Dustil immediately started retaliating, 'Look, when I made that point I wasn't suggesting...anything. I meant that the council would...Wait!' Dustil turned back to the figure. 'We wouldn't be alone?'

'Oh, did...' the woman said, mixing nervous laughter in with her words, 'did I forget to mention my little sister?'

'Why would you're little sister need to be mentioned.' Dustil said, donning a manufactured smile.

'Well, she needs a ride to Coruscant as well.'

'Why?'

'Because... I'm going to Coruscant.'

'Ahh, not just yet. I haven't told you the third reason why you can't come.'

'Well if it's anything like the second...'

'It isn't!' Dustil interjected. ' Three: it's a tiny ship, and I won't have room for anyone else once I get all that kolto loaded.'

'You mean if you get it loaded. Good luck finding someone else to load the kolto for as small a price as ours.'

'You and you're little sister don't sound like that much help.'

'You underestimate us. We have lived on Nar Shaddaa for two years now. We aren't weak."

"No,no of course not!" Dustil fought back a smile.

"Well, if you should change you're mind...we will be right here in this alley.'

'Why this alley?'

'A band of thugs decided that the alley we slept in last night was theirs, so we decided that this building was as good a place to live as any...for the moment any way.'

Dustil squirmed; he couldn't just leave them there now. He knew what it was like to be homeless, to be prey to anybody who so much as noticed you were in the room. The council couldn't blame him for helping two young homeless women. Perhaps they could stay with Revan until they got back on their feet. 'Wait!'

The young woman turned.

'Yes?'

'Maybe...maybe I could use your help.'

Dustil felt the strangers relief through the force.

'Thank you.'