Star Wars - Tales From The Mos Eisley Cantina

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Star Wars - Tales From The Mos Eisley Cantina Page 14

by Kevin J. Anderson

The droid took a few mincing steps into the room. "That

  explains it then. Bzavazh-ne pentirs o ple-urith feez?"

  Muftak did a double take. His language. "Where did you learn

  that?"

  The droid tilted its head, and its illuminated eyes seemed full

  of satisfaction. "Oh, friend Talz, I am conversant in the

  languages and customs of your planet, Alzoc Three, and four

  thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight other worlds. I am Master

  Jabba's protocol droid, Kay-eight Ellarr. Master Jabba couldn't do

  without me. Admittedly, I've never had a chance to use my Talz

  module before. I'll just check with Master Fortuna to see if you

  are telling the truth."

  Kabe, under control now, was moving slowly toward the droid,

  trying to look pleasant. She uncoiled her climbing rope. "We're

  telling the truth, droid. You don't have to check."

  "Oh, but I do, friend Chadra-Fan, k'sweksni-nyip-tsik. You have

  no idea what trouble I'd get into if I didn't-" Suddenly Kabe

  sprang and wrapped the rope around its limbs. "The restraining

  bolt, Muftak!"

  "My friends, please don't-" K8LR was moaning like a Jawa street

  beggar. "Oh! Master Jabba will punish you-" It began to fight, but

  the Talz loped forward, and with a single motion collared it and

  grabbed the bolt affixed to its chest. K8LR was struggling, trying

  to free itself of the ropes around its body, but Muftak was

  desperate. With a quick wrench, he ripped the bolt free.

  When the bolt came off, the.droid stopped struggling.

  "Oh, thank you," it said. "You have no idea how much better

  that feels. I never liked working here. Never. That Jabba ... so

  uncouth! And the rogues that work for him! Things I've seen would

  curl your proboscis, friend Talz. Now, if you don't mind, I think

  I'll be leaving. Could you untie me?"

  "Be quiet, droid!" Kabe pricked up her ears, listening

  intently. When she detected nothing, they began gathering loot

  again. K-8LR, s till half trussed, followed them about,

  complimenting them on their selections in a metallic whisper.

  "Kay-eight Ellarr," Muftak said, stuffing a tiny figurine

  carved from living ice into his furry abdominal pouch, "if you

  really are grateful, tell us where the Hutt keeps his most

  valuable treasures."

  The droid stopped, appearing to think. "There are Corellian

  artifacts on the walls of his audience chamber that are beyond

  price, if my memory banks are correct. And a shapework from the

  earliest days of human civilization."

  "Take us there!"

  As Muftak and the droid headed for the door, talking in low

  voices about the location of Alzoc III, Kabe hastily pried a large

  fire-gem from the eye of a sculpture. She stuffed it into one of

  the myriad pockets of her robe, joining the other small valuables

  she'd secreted about her person. I'll never have to pick pockets

  again, she thought

  They followed the droid back into the hall and to the right. As

  they tiptoed along, Kabe's ears twitched at a noise so soft no one

  else could have heard it. Breathing. Agonized, rasping . . . and

  aware. She halted before the third door. "Who is in this room?"

  she demanded of K-8LR. "Whoever is in here is awake."

  K-8LR stopped. "It is one of my former master's victims, I'm

  afraid. A human courier. They have been torturing him for days

  with a nerve disrupter."

  Muftak motioned her on, but Kabe hesitated. "Do you know how

  much Valarian would pay for a nerve disruptor?" she whispered to

  the Talz. "Droid, can you open it?"

  "Certainly, madam." K-8LR interfaced with the lock and the door

  swung open.

  Muftak shifted nervously, scratching his head. "Kabe, let's not

  get involved with this. It stinks in there."

  The Chadra-Fan ignored her friend, marching into the room.

  Reluctantly, Muftak followed.

  A naked, frail, sallow man with an air of infinite sadness lay

  strapped onto a bunk, moaning. As they entered, his eyes fastened

  on them. The nerve disruptor, a small black box mounted on a tall

  tripod, stood by the bed. Kabe went over and, resolutely ignoring

  the human, began to disconnect it.

  "Water," the man pleaded in a ghastly husk of a voice. "Water .

  . . please."

  "Be quiet," Kabe snapped. Even as her fingers moved, deftly

  unscrewing little components, she remembered the days before

  Muftak had found her, when she'd wandered the streets of Mos

  Eisley, hungry . . . and nearly crazed with thirst. Unable to stop

  herself, she looked up at the human. Their eyes met.

  "Water," rasped the man. "Please . . ."

  Kabe's fingers slowed, then, cursing under her breath, she

  pulled a small flask from her belt and held it out. "Here's water.

  Now leave me alone." With his arms restrained, the human could

  only gaze at the flask longingly.

  "I'll give it to you, sir," said K-8LR, coming forward. He

  raised the human's head, and held the water to his lips.

  The nerve disruptor was finally detached. Kabe stuffed it in

  her sack. "This alone will buy us enough juice for a lifetime!"

  she said triumphantly.

  The human finished the water and licked his cracked, impossibly

  rough lips. He eyed them carefully. "You two . . . are interested

  in credits. How'd you like to earn thirty thousand, quick, without

  risk?"

  Muftak, restless, was keeping a lookout on the hall. Kabe,

  already turning to leave, halted. She regarded the man

  suspiciously. "What d'you mean, human?"

  "My name is Barid Mesoriaam. Remember that name, because it

  will be your password. If you deliver a datadot to a certain Mon

  Calamari who will be in Mos Eisley for the next few days, the

  credits are yours."

  Kabe considered. "A datadot. Thirty thousand? But where'll you

  get it? How do we know - "

  "You'll just have to trust me. As to the location of the dot

  ..." Mesoriaam closed his mouth and worked his tongue against his

  teeth. When he opened it, there was a tiny black circle visible on

  the tip of his tongue. Kabe plucked the datadot off.

  Muftak, who'd returned to the bedside in time to hear most of

  the exchange, stared wide-eyed at the man. "What is on this dot

  that is of such value?" he asked.

  Mesoriaam tried to raise himself, but he was too weak. "That is

  not for you to know. Tell the Mon Calamari it is for General

  Dodonna's eyes only."

  "Barid Mesoriaam is a participant in the Rebellion against the

  Empire," said K-8LR smugly. "They wish to restore power to the

  Senate, as I understand it. No doubt the datadot has something to

  do with Rebel plans."

  The Talz stroked his proboscis, thinking. "Here, Muftak, put

  this in your pouch," Kabe ordered, holding out the datadot.

  Muftak complied. "Rebels," he repeated meditatively. "Kay-

  eight, what was Jabba trying to get out of him? Was he under

  Imperial order to do this?"

  "My former master does not play favorites," replied the droid.

  "He sells to the highest bidder. Unfortunately fo
r him, no matter

  how Mesoriaam was tortured, he revealed nothing."

  "Since you know what I am and what this dot contains," said

  Mesoriaam, "there is nothing to stop you from selling the

  information to the Prefect. But, if you do, remember that there is

  no place for nonhumans in the Empire. In the proud days of the

  Republic, all beings had equal status. Look around you and tell me

  if that is still the case."

  Kabe scowled impatiently. "If your friend'll give us thirty

  thousand, I don't care what he-" She whirled around abruptly.

  "What was that?"

  Lights came on in the hall. "Oh, no," said K-8LR. "This doesn't

  seem to be a very promising turn of events."

  Muftak drew his blaster. "Let's get out of here. Now."

  The Talz held his breath as he reached the hallway, brandishing

  his blaster, but no one was in sight. Kabe followed, trying to fit

  one more prize in her already full bag. "Jabba's audience chamber,

  Muftak. That shapework must be worth millions!"

  Muftak gaped at her, incredulous. "Kabe, are you crazy? We've

  got to-"

  From out of the lounge sprang two burly, porcine Gamorreans

  brandishing axes, grunting obscenely. Muftak shoved Kabe behind

  him, and they backed away from the newcomers. The Talz triggered

  his blaster - but nothing happened. "Shoot them, Muftak!" Kabe

  shrilled.

  Muftak emitted a frustrated hum. "I'm trying!"

  Encumbered by his sack, he examined the weapon as best he

  could, backpedaling all the while. The Gamorreans squealed at each

  other, evidently making plans. Desperately, Muftak wiggled the

  power supply into better contact, saw the ignition coil begin to

  glow hot. Got it. Aiming, he fired at the nearest guard. The

  weapon spat, and the bolt of energy caromed off the guard's

  axhead, which it was using as a shield. The Gamorreans dived for

  cover, just as a tiny Jawa appeared from another door, firing its

  blaster. Muftak coaxed out a few more shots, sending the Jawa

  scurrying back into hiding.

  "This way!" Kabe was heading past the main entrance, a

  reinforced blast door big enough to admit the enormous Hutt. One

  glance told Muftak it was electronically locked.

  The Chadra-Fan scurried in the direction of the audience room.

  "There's another exit in here - hold them off while I get it

  open!"

  "Hold them off?" Muftak cried. "How?" He followed Kabe, and

  they dashed into the huge, circular audience chamber. Dominating

  the far end of the room was the Hutt's ornate wooden dais; over it

  hung a gigantic tapestry depicting a grotesque scene of Hutt

  family life.

  Just as Kabe had promised, there was another, smaller door -

  but it too bore an electronic bolt. "Now what?" Muftak gasped.

  "We're trapped!"

  "Maybe I can get it open ..." Kabe said uncertainly. "But I'll

  need time . . ." Pulling out the nerve disruptor, she set it on

  the floor, pointing at the doorway, then turned it on. "I'll use

  this to block the entrance!"

  Time was against them - they'd only gotten halfway across the

  chamber before more Gamorreans charged through the door, howling

  like Tusken Raiders. One was armed with a blaster. Lethal bolts

  ricocheted behind them as Muftak grabbed Kabe and dashed across

  the chamber, taking cover behind Jabba's audience dais.

  The blaster bolts halted abruptly, and the two thieves peered

  out to se'e the four Gamorreans staggering in the entranceway,

  yowling with pain and fury. Sighting carefully, Muftak cut three

  of them down with well-placed shots. The fourth escaped back into

  the hall.

  Kabe started crawling for the door. "I'll open-"

  All hell broke loose. Ten guards of various species appeared at

  the doorway, each of them loosing a barrage of blaster fire.

  Kabe's disruptor held them back for the moment, but the two

  friends were pinned down behind the dais.

  "We can't hold out much longer like this." Muftak grunted,

  sighting and firing into the gaggle of guards jammed into the

  entrance., "Sooner or later one of their shots will hit the

  disruptor-and then they'll be in here."

  Kabe's only response was a terrified squeal. Muftak peered over

  the dais, searching for a good target, and glimpsed chalky-white

  albino features at the back of the crowd. Bib Fortuna . . .

  Jabba's Twi'lek major-domo, who was doubtless directing the battle

  from the safety of the hallway. A whistling snarl from overhead

  attracted his attention, and he glanced up to see a huge net

  hanging from the ceiling, large enough to cover the entire middle

  of the audience chamber. Word had it that the net contained kayven

  whistlers, flying carnivores with appetites as large and sharp as

  their teeth. Jabba used the kayven to "influence" recalcitrant

  business associates into deals favorable to the Hutt.

  Aiming at a hulking Abyssin's torso, Muftak squeezed off

  another shot, and was rewarded when the being went down with a

  scream. "Muftak, what are we going to do?" Kabe bleated. He

  glanced down at her, saw her huddled, quivering, against his side.

  "If we could only get that door open," the Talz muttered, half

  to himself. But it was too far away . . .

  Another blaster shot sizzled overhead, so close that Muftak

  threw himself over Kabe, almost mashing her flat. A crackling

  filled the air; the tapestry behind them was now burning in one

  spot and smoldering in several others. That's it . . . we'll never

  get out of here alive, he thought. I'll never get off this sandy

  hell, never see Alzoc III . . . never taste the nectar of those

  flowers-

  "Get off me!" Kabe squeaked beneath him. Muftak levered himself

  up, gasping and gagging on smoke. Kabe stared at the fire round-

  eyed. "Muf-tak ..." she wailed.

  The Talz squinted against the smoke tendrils, trying to aim. He

  fired at a Gamorrean, but blurred vision made him miss. Return

  fire caromed off the furniture. One blaster bolt struck the nerve

  disruptor, shattering it.

  Now they'll be all over us! Muftak thought, but the guards

  still held back. Evidently they hadn't realized that the entrance

  was now clear - either that, or the smoke deterred them. Maybe Bib

  Fortuna ordered them to stay back, figuring the fire will get us,

  he thpught. That way he doesn 't risk losing any more guards.

  Without warning, the exit door swung open.

  Fresh night air rushed in, fanning the flames, sending the

  smoke eddying in billows. Muftak grabbed the two sacks of loot,

  shoving them into Kabe's hands. "Run for it!" he ordered. "I'll

  cover you!"

  The Chadran-Fan hesitated. "But what about you?"

  "I'll be right behind you!" he lied. Someone as small and quick

  as Kabe might be able to make it out the door, under the cover of

  his fire, but Muftak, with his lumbering bulk, didn't have a

  chance. But at least Kabe would live. With the wealth in those

  sacks, she'd be set for life . . .

  "Go!" he cried, literally booting her out from behind the dais.<
br />
  He fired at the guards, catching a glimpse of her scuttling

  through the smoke out of the corners of his left eyes. A hail of

  fire forced him down again, but not before Muftak was rewarded by

  the sight of Kabe vanishing through the door. Thank the Force for

  that. He settled back, his blaster scorching his paw as he

  prepared to sell his life dearly . . .

  Gasping, choking, Kabe staggered out the exit and into the

  night. The heavy sacks of loot weighed her down, but she'd sooner

  have cut off her arm than lose them. Ducking through a gate and

  into a walled garden, she sagged against a life-size sculpture of

  Jabba, gulping air. Behind her she could hear blaster bolts

  whining. Where was Muftak?

  Peeking through the gate at the exit from the audience chamber,

  the Chadra-Fan watched as clouds of smoke billowed. With each

  passing second, the pain in her pounding heart and straining lungs

  eased. Still no Muftak. Kabe glanced up the street, hearing the

  distant sounds of firelighters and water sellers converging on the

  Hutt's town house from all directions.

  Where in the name of the Force was Muftak?

  Kabe winced at the sounds of more blaster fire from the

  audience chamber. Smoke darkened the night, obscuring the stars.

  The entire room must be ablaze . . . Muftak!

  Grimly, the little Chadra-Fan realized that her friend had

  never intended to follow her. He'd given her the chance to escape

  at the price of his own life. Slowly, she picked up the two laden

  sacks. She'd be crazy to throw away the Talz's last gift to her .

  . . Muftak wanted her to get away-with the loot.

  Kabe took a step toward the gate on the other side of the

  garden, heading for the alley. Images flashed before her eyes, of

  herself, starving, whimpering in alleys, too weak to run, almost

  too weak to walk. Muftak had picked her up, tucked her under his

  arm, and carried her home to his den . . . had bought water for

  her, and food . . .

  Kabe took another step . . .

  The sacks slipped from the Chadra-Fan's fingers, thudded to the

  sandy ground near the sculpture's stone tail. Kabe kicked them

  viciously, knowing they wouldn't last two seconds out here, no

  matter how she tried to conceal them. "Damn you, Muftak!" she

  squealed -

  - and, turning, raced back into the audience chamber.

  Chittering loudly, Kabe could pick up Muftak's presence by his

 

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