Thabeska
Part V: Thabeska
“Here you go, little one!”
Ahsoka handed her little toy droid to the small four-years-old girl that was standing in front of her, her eyes wide open with admiration.
“Thank you,” the girl’s nanny said. “I think you made her day.”
Ahsoka stood up to be at her level.
“I’m glad I could help.”
She glanced at the girl, visibly delighted to have her doll back.
“That’s quite a sophisticated droid for a toy,” Ahsoka noted.
“Yes… Her father likes to buy her the most… unique ones.”
The woman looked down at the child with a fond smile.
“You’re a bit of a spoiled child, aren’t you?”
The girl didn’t answer, but buried herself in her nanny’s robes, still looking at Ahsoka with her large eyes.
“How much do I owe you for the toy?” asked the woman who began to search for her wallet in the small purse she was carrying.
“Oh! Nothing, if the kid’s happy, it’s all that matters.”
“I insist, you took a piece of your ship…”
That was true, and probably not Ahsoka’s best move given the recent circumstances.
“It was broken-down anyways.”
That was also true. It had not taken her long after her departure from Tahlar before realizing the ship salesman had tried to pull a fast one on her. She had landed in emergency on Thabeska, a small planet in the Outer Rim, only to see that her shuttle was unfixable.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes”
In truth, she could have done with some credits. But she couldn’t bring herself to charge them for a repair that had been so easy for her.
“Thank you again, then.”
The woman leaned towards the girl.
“What to we say to the young lady, Hedala?”
“Thank you,” the child whispered shyly.
“My pleasure,” Ahsoka answered with a smile.
She waved at them as the two left the shipyard and, once alone, turned to her ship. She had used an important piece to repair the little girl’s toy, but it didn’t make much of a difference; she had already lost one-third of the most essential ones during the flight. Now, the Theta-class shuttle would probably not even make it to the other end of the shipyard. “Why does it keeps happening to me?” she mumbled to herself. Ahsoka sighed. Complaining wouldn’t change anything. She needed to find a job to scrape a few credits in order to buy new pieces for her ship.
She locked the shuttle and left the shipyard to head for the town. Not unlike what she remembered of Tatooine, Thabeska was a dusty and windy planet, which meant that there were not so much people out in the streets. Unwilling to stand out, Ahsoka hastened to find a place likely to have some job to offer. She set her sight on a gas station located at the end of a lane that also served as a garage. “That would be the ideal place to work,” thought Ahsoka. “I could even get some help to repair my ship.” She pushed the entrance door, and the ringing of a bell filled the small shop. A male Rodian immediately emerged from behind a row.
“Hi there, what can I do for you?”
“Hi, I’m looking for a job and I was wondering if there was anything I could help you with. I saw on your front sign that you were a mechanic…”
The Rodian kindly interrupted her.
“I’m sorry, I don’t need anyone at the moment.”
“Are you sure? I could do anything.”
His lips curved into a smile.
“You’re new on Thabeska, aren’t you?”
Ahsoka’s hand mechanically tightened on the absent hilt of her lightsaber.
“What makes you say that?”
He laughed.
“You’re too clean. Everyone here is always covered with dust.”
The young Togruta relaxed a bit.
“Plus,” the mechanic added, “you’d know who to go to for a job.”
“Who is it, then?”
He looked at her reluctantly.
“Look… You seem like a sweet girl, I don’t think Thabeska is a place for you… Why don’t you go on Jelucan? They’re building a new imperial base and they’ve come all the way here to recruit new people.”
At the thought of working for the Empire, Ahsoka almost felt sick. She’d rather die than helping those who had killed her friends, her family.
“I can’t,” she answered. “My ship is broken. I need to make some money to repair it and leave the planet.”
That wasn’t a lie.
“Well then,” sighed the Rodian, “try at the restaurant called The Kirwa and ask for Bija’an.”
Ahsoka smiled.
“I’ll do that. Thanks for your help.”
He nodded and she departed the gas station.
It took her a while before finding the place. The city had not much to do with the big metropolises like the ones you could find on Coruscant or Alderaan; but still, it was large enough for a foreigner to get lost. On the bright side, it allowed her to familiarise herself with Thabeska. In the lower part of the town, the houses were small and simple but their structure seemed solid and well-grounded. “Probably to resist the wind,” thought Ahsoka. As she grew closer to the upper part, the houses became taller and more luxurious. They were all protected by electric fences whose light buzz was the only sound in the empty streets; but the energy fields were transparent enough to let the passers-by see the lush gardens and the fancy balconies decorated with exotic flowers and bronze statues. Ahsoka noted that despite the large piece of land in front of each house, their sides were almost touching. It could be useful to know, should she need to run away from Thabeska. People were never paying attention to the roofs.
As the sun was setting down, she finally reached the city center where most of the stores and service centers were located. Among them was The Kirwa. The restaurant was brand new and very trendy with his huge neon lights that were brightening the street. It definitively clashed with the rest of the town; or at least what she had seen of it. In front of the façade were a few tables arranged in a semicircle, but none of them were occupied and the chairs had been put upside down on the top. Ahsoka was ready to turn back, thinking the restaurant was closed; but the entrance door suddenly opened to let out two men who seemed very drunk. She began to think that the Rodian from the gas station had been right. Maybe it was not the kind of place she wanted to work in. But she had no other choice and she desperately needed money.
She pushed the front door. The inside of the restaurant was very different than the outside. Much livelier. A pleasant music was playing and the many customers were casually chatting at their table. She wondered how she could find the man called Bija’an but quickly got her answer when she noticed a particular table in the very back of the room. Strangely, all the other tables around that one were unoccupied and two massive Gamorreans were standing guard in front of it. She cautiously walked towards them and stopped in front of the guards who immediately blocked her way with their spades.
“Hi, I’m, huh… Looking for a certain Bija’an. Do you know where I could find him?”
One of the Gamorreans grunted and a Zabrak appeared between the two guards.
“What do you want with Bija’an?”
“I’m looking for a job and I’ve been told he’s the man to see.”
Another voice came from behind the guards.
“Let her pass. I’m done eating, anyways.”
The Zabrak cast her an inquisitive look and returned to the table while the Gamorreans stepped aside.
“Thank you,” she said.
She took a few steps to get closer to the table. Sitting across the Zabrak was a good-looking man of about forty years old and behind them, two more human guards.
“So… You wanted to speak with me, huh?” Said the man seated at the table. “What can I do for you, darling?”
Much like the other humans she had seen in the area, he had tanned skin and black hair, but he seemed wealthier than the people she had come across since her arrival. His ears were pierced with small rings and he was draped in a colorful cloak made of precious fabrics. Ahsoka immediately sensed that something wasn’t right about him, but it was too late to turn back.
“I’ve just arrived here and I need a job. Someone told me you could help me,” she repeated.
Bija’an exchanged a knowing smile with the Zabrak.
“Well… I might have something for you but I’m not sure you’ll like it. Always depends on how desperate you are, I guess…”
Everybody giggled except the two Gamorreans. “You’re lucky Rex isn’t with me,” Ahsoka thought. She was perfectly able to defend herself, but her friend probably wouldn’t have shared her reluctance to jump down their throat.
“What are you, anyways?” The continued. “A Togruta? That’s not so different from a Twi’lek. Maybe even more expensive.”
He looked her in the eye with a little smirk.
“Rarity is a luxury…”
Ahsoka clenched her fists. She had heard enough.
“I see. Sorry to have bothered you, I’ll search somewhere else.”
She was about to turn tail when she heard a little voice coming from the back of the restaurant.
“Look, nursie, it’s the girl who fixed Sasa!”
Ahsoka turned, only to see the little girl she had met in the shipyard earlier that day. She didn’t seem as shy, though. The little Hedala was running towards her, waving the little droid Ahsoka had repaired in the morning; closely followed by her nanny who was trying to keep up without tripping in her long dress.
“Karoma!” Bija’an barked, suddenly unamused. “Bring the girl back upstairs! Her father doesn’t want her in the restaurant.”
“Sorry, sir. I’m trying but she’s fast.”
“Is that what you want me to tell Fardi? ‘Sorry, sir; she’s too fast’?
“No, I’m sorry.”
“Stop being sorry and catch her!”
“Yes, sir.”
She finally reached Hedala who had grabbed Ahsoka’s hand and was handing her another broken droid.
“Can you fix this one too?”
“No Hedala, she can’t,” Karoma said sharply. “Now come back with me and let the grown-ups talk.”
“But nobody has been able to fix Lila!” The little girl said tearfully. “I know she can. She did it with Sasa!”
At the table, Bija’an frowned.
“You know her?” He asked Karoma, pointing in Ahsoka’s direction.
“Yes,” the nanny answered. “We’ve met her in mister Fardi’s shipyard this morning. She repaired Hedala’s doll.”
Bija’an turned to Ahsoka, all traces of amusement wiped from his face.
“Is that true?”
“Yes”
“Impressive. When she broke the first one, we’ve searched the whole town to find somebody who would be able to fix it. Nobody could, so her father bought her a new one.”
He thought for a minute.
“Maybe I have a job for you, after all. What’s your name, again?”
“A… Ashla.”
“Alright, Ahsla, just… stick around for a bit, would you? I’ll talk to my boss.”
“Thank you.” The words were almost physically painful to say. “How will I know if I’m hired?”
“We’ll find you, don’t worry,” he said with a little grin. “Nobody wanders on Thabeska without Fardi knowing.”