00.04 Prologue

[29 BBY]

[Druckenwell, Doldur Sector]

Getting a ship, a decent ship not the hunk of junk one seat system jumper I'd acquired at Corellia, was getting ever closer as I watched my prey stagger drunkenly back towards their vessel. A married crime couple, a human and a twi'lek, who were currently smuggling blasters if I had to guess, but that didn't really matter over much to me right now. What was important was that they had a light freighter to do their criminal activities, and that Eriadu had a bounty on them for murder, smuggling, and public indecency. Not much of a bounty, but it did come with the added bonus of getting their property, like the ugly light freighter, legally into my needy little hands.

The Focus on the Job helped too, took my mind off feeling adrift since leaving the Temple, my former Master, and everyone else that had made up my life. Easy to see the trap the Temple created for its members; by the time you were old enough to be independent legally you didn't have any bonds beyond them. Or realisation of anything outside the Jedi life, and Temple support....unless you'd a voice in your head and past life experience to give a sense of self before the brainwashing set in anyway.

So now here I knelt beside my, temporary, hunk of junk gazing at the data-slate showing the footage of my approaching targets as they staggered their way passed by where I was 'working' on my ships engine. Placing the data-slate back down I dusted myself off, yawning as if exhausted from ages tinkering on my tiny little ship, and wiping my hands off on a rag. Then walk towards repairs yard as if to get spare parts....grumbling to myself as the pair passed me by...

Now came the hard part I noted keeping my nervousness in line thanks to training and experience from this life and a past one and sliding in behind the pair as I was wanted to asked a question or borrow something. Calm, confident, but non-threatening as I barely tapped into the Force to say 'I'm not here, there is no one here' to those around me. Personally I'd rather not use much of my powers so soon after leaving the Temple for fear the Council had....concerns....and sent somebody after me, but needs were needs, and safety first. There was a small crowd of people repair their own ships spread across this part of the spaceport, and generally they'd frown upon what some could see as armed robbery.

Walk, walk, smile at passing Rodian....there is no-one here....

...and then I was only maybe three arms length from the two, and hundred or two hundred metres from their ship as they chatted while the human female pressed a button and caused the ramp into the ship to descend ahead of us. Now was the time I noted striding forward, dressed in my mechanics clothing, 'tool bow' holding my concealed blaster in one hand and documents in the other. Raising voice, sound friendly but tired and nervous as all hell...

"Hey! Hey! Sorry, Captain Murbuc isn't it?"

"Hmph...wha?"

Step, step, just a short distance but out of easy reaction time as came to a stop just in front of the confused, suspicious looking pair, as they turned "Murbuc of Dantooine right? I'm from Port Services..."

"No, never heard of'em, think you've got..." the female started to muttered irritable glancing at my bundle of proffered paperwork and then at her husband. My concealed weapon came up, my tone cold and commanding as I infused it with the Force and at their slightly drunk minds.

"Yes, I know Albanda Marnic, Secudar Marnic. Now, move and die!" I stated calmly as they both froze, the twi'lek's hand starting to move but I kept my voice down "...don't move. Dead or alive it says, so do what I say. DO AS I COMMAND"

Both seemed to shudder faintly, the male twi'lek going glassy eyed, the female human looking confused, as I pressed my threat with a command spell "Now, up into the ship and act normal as you do so. We're all friends here now"

"O...kay" came back from the female, a nod from the male, as they turned about and 'led' me up the ramp and into the cramp and dirty looking freighter. Bringing the ramp up to hide my activities I commanded them to hand over their registry for leaving and if there were any traps on the computer system. The male attempted to lie, a little, even in his Force oppressed state, but it seemed there was thanks to slurred truth from his wife and I nodded.

"Thank you very much, your cooperation in this endeavour has been much appreciated" I stated before shooting them both with stunners to send them both sprawling unto the deck of my new starship. Taking the blaster out of its concealed carry case I secured it on my person and placed the 'tool box' down on the deck, before pulling out the restraints and sedatives. Securing these two was first on the agenda; stripping them revealed a few concealed weapons, and the drugs should keep them out for quite some time as I redressed them in simple one piece 'dresses' before shacking ankles and wrists.

Since it was their ship I locked them in a spare storage area with some food, water, and a mattress before locking the door physically, and then placing a Lock spell of sorts on it with the Force. Couldn't be too careful after all, and I had to leave the ship the first, to get my current tiny ship moved and ensure no other problems arose before I made my escape and brought these two to Eriadu and several years behind bars. Then I could move onto stage two of my plan for getting setup, and hopefully get back and visit...home?...before the years end...

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[29 BBY]

[Jedi Temple, Coruscant]

"Hi Anakin! Hope everyone is treating you well...." Obi-Wan Kenobi watched as Anakin showed him the holographic avatar of the Padawan who'd abandoned the order, tears running down his face "...I know it's been a few months, busy-busy, getting my own ship, catching bad guys for fun and profit. Now, Good News; I went to Tatooine and bought your Mom!"

Obi-wan resisted the urge to start rubbing at his as the headache suddenly arrived. Now he knew how Master Windu felt to some small degree as the waving avatar continued talking "...and your right, Watto is a credit grubbing, arrogant sleemo, but we got him down on the price once I bought some junk to add to my new ship...need to bling it up a bit before I trade it in for a better model. Anyway, I bought your Mom, and I've freed her from her life of slavery. Oh, and she works for me now, I needed a cook for my starship and she needed a job to get off that terrible dustball you called home. Offered to drop her off on another world, but skills and confidence I guess...anywho, she's my first minion! Go Team Space Wizard!"

The glowing holographic avatar seemed to look around behind him "Hmm?....oh, yeah, anyway I gotta go Anakin. Keep up the good work at being a Jedi and all that, be nice to everyone unless their being stupid or mean to you. So your Mom wants talk to you, so I'm off to prepare another message for Barriss next and then the others!"

Anakin's joyful tears continued in a very un-Jedi-like manner, the former padawan disappearing from view, to be replaced by a familiar figure from the past "Ani? I...."

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[29 BBY]

[Light Freighter Cinnamon Wind, Docked Eriadu Spaceport]

Shmi Skywalker smiled happily to herself as she left her now spotless cabin and walked down the cramped corridor to the small 'living area' aboard the ship that was currently her new life. Her new Master...employer, she reminded herself, her new employer...because she was free now. Not a slave. Free, with her own credits and no pain stick or other punishments like that if she annoyed her Master. Whatever the case her new employer, an alien boy whose species she'd never heard of, was sitting in an alcove with his feet on a stool, a data-slate in hand and books, actual old fashioned written ones, around him opened up.

"Hi Shmi, have a nice sleep?"

"Yes Captain, thank you for asking..." she replied struggling against the urge, the trained instinct to bow and grovel as he looked up from his work with a sigh "...can I do anything to serve?"

"No, no, your fine, we're off duty a while now till the delivery arrives"

"What delivery is that Ma....Sir?"

"Droids...well, factory setting incomplete droids..." the young alien replied holding up the flat device in his right hand "...sold off all the stuff we picked up at Naboo and Sullust, and I'm going to tinker with some unfinished droids and sell them on the Lipsec run before heading back to my homeworld. Should net a couple of credits, assuming I get'em to work proper, out further in the Out Rim....not much in the way of tech, so parts should even go for a profit"

'Anakin loved to tinker with droids too, maybe that's why they were friends' she wondered perking up at the thought of that sort of work, memories of a time that felt so very long ago despite not being so "I have....well I used to help Ani with, well, when he worked with some droids he built from scrap....but I'll admit he did most of it. My boy, well, it was just over my head"

Captain Daron gave an amused snort "Oh, don't I know it. It's a learned skill with me, and with your boy and Kazdan it's instinctive in some ways, thankfully I'm good at the coding and other things like enchan....other things with them. Gonna use one or two as crew if I can, help you out, help me out, and work towards a bigger better ship"

'Must get better skilled' she told herself firmly crushing down the fear that threatened to rise up at the thought of being replaced by a droid, a fear of many a slave. Thankfully droids, especially new droids, tended to be bad at many things outside their programming so even things like good cooking were often beyond them "That sounds wonderful Captain...now, would like something to eat? I must cook my own meal after all"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, what are thinking of..."

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[28 BBY]

[Gai'Solem, World of Solem]

"They....moved?" the stranger muttered looking at the burned out buildings and Rautsk shrugged in response. It seemed the trader was one of the young bucks who'd gone off in search of adventure as a child, and then come back and finding everything changed. Honestly what else did they expect to happen?"

This Captain of No-Clan had turned up with a cargo of droids, fantastically rare and wonderful droids and droid parts, and seemed to be trying to return to his roots or something. Went off with his Uncle or something, adventure rather than exile sounded like at least, and now back making Rautsk wealthier. Brought news too, though that was more of the same in the Republic was squeezing every credit from hardworking Outer Rimmers to feed its corrupt masters in the Core.

"Uh-huh, two cycles back maybe? Big fire, and there was damage...who area was going down slope since the aliens attacked years back and Trunt clan decided pay off guards and their mates and whelps to head off to greener pastures"

"Ah...yeah....that'd make sense...." the young trader muttered staring into nothing, before giving the faintest shake of the head "...you, wouldn't happen to know where they might have moved too?"

"Fraid not, ye could try with the Fells or Trunt clan centres, they might know young'in...." he answered honestly, the trader had made a decent amount of profit and it was hard get anyone to bother coming out to this Sector let alone Solem, or be one of their own, so best make friends "...here let me get ye in touch with the best source ah can think of"

It was only good business sense after, give a bit of help and potentially get a future business relationship with a trader with a ship and access to things Rautsk wanted...