Visit to Tatooine(4)

The day after I found myself in Watto's shop again.

"The boy tells me you want to sponsor him in the race. How can you do this? Not on Republic credits, I think, huh?" Watto said.

"My ship will be the entry fee." Qui-Gon said as he showed a hologram detailing our J-327 Nubian.

"Oh, not bad. Not bad, huh? A Nubian, huh?" Watto said. It's not like we told him the specific ship we needed a hyperdrive for. Fucking dumbass.

"It's in good order, except for the parts I need." Qui-Gon said.

"What would the boy ride?" Watto said. "He smashed up my pod in the last race. It will take some long time to fix it."

"It wasn't my fault, really. Sebubla flashed me with his vents. I actually saved the pod, mostly." Anakin exclaimed trying to push the blame away from him.

"Hmm. That you did, huh." Watto said sarcastically. "The boy's good. No doubts there, huh?"

"I have acquired a pod in a game of chance, the fastest ever built." Qui-Gon said.

"I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it, huh?" Watto said as he began laughing. "So, you supply the pod and the entry fee, and I supply the boy. We split the winnings, um, 50-50, I think, huh?"

"If it's going to be 50-50, I suggest you front the cash for the entry." Qui Gon said as he stepped forward to intimidate him. I also signaled for Santo to enter, he stood outside the entrance currently.

"If we win, you keep all the winnings, minus the cost of the parts I need. And if we lose, you keep my ship. Either way, you win." Qui-Gon said as Watto began grumbling over it, like he would ever refuse.

"Deal!" He exclaimed at last, as they shook hands.

And with that, we turned around and headed away. As we left, I heard crumbs of Watto saying Qui-Gon and I were dumb.

With that, we headed towards the House Shmi and Anakin live in.

"I'll deal with some more business today." I told Qui-Gon Jinn as I noticed my Comms blinking. Meaning Embo was ready for us.

We headed back to the Bounty Hunter Guild. I had Santo, Jon, and Robb with me. They had joined us early today as we headed to Watto's shop.

As we walked I looked at them.

"I doubt they will dare to enter another fight with us. But if one or two dumbasses step up then Santo I leave them to you. You're stronger and more experienced with bar-fights." I said and Santo roared in agreement.

A bit after we entered the guild again. The Bounty Hunter Guild was well known with thousands of members. However, it wasn't a united front. It was simply a small organization where certain bounty hunters could get jobs. However, most professional bounty hunters got direct requests from clients.

However, the well-known bounty hunters also used the guild to put together a team. The Guild had a leader but they had yet to gain the motivation to create a united bounty hunter community, which they tried to accomplish before.

Now it was just about money. Every transaction coming through the guilt had a 10% tax, and you needed to pay to find bounty hunters. However, the guild didn't interfere with bounty hunter fights, rivalries, and bounty stealing. At least yet.

As we entered, there sat about 10 people there. I recognized none of them, it doesn't seem those involved in yesterday's brawl came back today. However, rumors sure had spread.

Immediately after entering they looked at me but quickly looked back down again. And after that, nobody dared to look at us. Most also kept a quiet voice and didn't speak loudly.

I stepped up to the receptionist.

"Count Thalron, Bounty Hunter Embo is waiting on you in meeting room 21." He said and pointed to the room.

It was on the 2nd floor and the door closest to the stairs.

As I entered, the view of the meeting room hit me.

The table was poor and had parts of it on the ground, it had a total of 2 chairs and a table between them. Embo sat on the chair closest to the entrance, probably to ensure a quick escape.

As I entered Santos stood outside the room, at the door. Jon stood in front of the door, but inside, and lastly, Robb stood beside me as I sat down.

"So, you must be Embo?" I asked as I put a device on the table.

"Giyuzo o'clo whi" He said, and the device began translating.

"Yes. What do you want?"

"I wish to offer you long-term employment. You'll join a specific vanguard squad and you will be paid daily." I said and he looked shocked. He probably didn't entirely trust my promise when he accepted the meeting.

"Ok, g'lokk farbu ikso." He said again and the device translated.

"Ok, how much and for how long?"

"2500 a week, 120 000 a year. A minimum of 13 years." I told him shocking him again. 13 years was extremely long, very few bounty hunters lived in their work for 13 years. And the 2500 pay was about the pay of a commanding officer in the Republic every month. He got that in a week.

"F'lo gla rufu glack" He said again

"Can I refuse jobs?"

"You can refuse some jobs but not all, depending on their difficulty and you get extra pay for extra difficulty." I said and he said.

"Ok. E g'ack"

"I accept."

"Very good, Jon. Lead him to our ship." I said as I stood up and shook his hand.

Embo was an extremely powerful bounty hunter. But what I liked about Embo is that he has certain morals, but not a naïve fuck. You see him kill Pirates without any difficulty, but similarly, you see him go out of his way to save and help a village and its villagers.

So, he has morals and won't go around killing children for fun like Bossk, but he is still mighty, agile, and knows when to kill, that's basically what I appreciate about Embo. His hat shield is also extremely powerful and strong, being able to take multiple shots, only getting a few scratches.

And with that, I turned around towards Robb.

"Alright, Robb head to Qui-Gon and tell him I'm going to be late. Then head back to the ship. I've got some business to do. But Santo please follow me." I said as I turned around and walked away after getting a nod from Robb.

Me and Santos then headed towards the cantina. I wanted to make a bet myself.

Once I entered an expected view greeted me.

The legendary cantina music played as we entered. There were multiple booths with people sitting in them. There was also a large pud In the middle serving drinks.

As I entered I approached the pub.

"Where can I bet on the Boonta Eve pod race?" I asked the 4 handed alien species.

He simply pointed to a large room in the wall. A big screen with every single pod racer, and a Twi'Lek working there. About 50 men stood inside the large room with people placing bets all the time.

I also heard the noticeable flapping of a certain fuckwit. He was standing around with 5 more guys.

I approached Watto and he and his gang turned towards me.

I stood out like a sore thumb due to the big black and hairy wookie named Santo guarding me.

"Yo, Watto!" I said as I approached him.

"Ah, outlander. What do you want, huh?" He asked, probably wanting to swindle me of money.

"I was wondering if I could buy those 2 slaves of yours? The woman might be able to please me. And the mom will do anything to be together with her child." I said as I put a creepy smile on my face.

I wouldn't be as stupid as Qui-Gon and just outright announce our interest in the boy. It's just stupid. Even a 12-year-old will understand that a Jedi betting tens of thousands of credits for a single boy is suspicious, which is why Watto tried the chance brick.

"Oooh, so you like the mom type, huh? Very well, you can buy them for 10,000." He said.

"Are you dumb? I could buy 15 Twi'Leks for that price. 2000, nothing more. That's extremely good considering they're both human." I said.

"5000! Since the boy can drive pods and he can create droids." Watto said and I began thinking.

"4000" I said, haggling is always fun. I could survive paying even 100,000 credits for the pair. Right now I just wanted to experience the fun of a proper haggle.

"4800" I got a response.

"The mom is in her 40'ies and will die soon, 4300." I said.

"The kid is 8 years old and already a genius. 4600." Watto said.

"Fine. Let's meet in the middle. 4500." I said and Watto shook my hand.

He then put his hands into a pouch he had on his belt and took out 2 electric triggers and a paper confirming whoever owns it has ownership of them. My best guess is that he was prepared to gamble Anakin and Shmi on the race. But he probably got discouraged after Qui-Gon's repeated attempts at getting Anakin.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Watto." I said as I turned around and left. Now I could go and bet on the race, but why would I? It's not fun as I already know the outcome. And I have billions of credits in my holdings. Why would I need some meager 100,000 credits?

I never understood Star Wars fanfics where they always chose to gamble. The whole reason you gamble is the immense adrenaline of winning gold and potentially losing. And to become rich. But when you already are way too rich, and you know the outcome. Why the fuck would you bet on it?

And with that, me and Santos headed home.

"HRRRRRRRRRRRR ( Is it true that you like old women?)" Santos asked

"Of course not, they're dirty and ugly. No, I just did it so he lowered his guard. As it isn't unheard of for men to take likings to others slave and buy them." I said and Santos nodded. He probably didn't care what I liked but wanted to know.

We headed back and split up at the entrance. Santos wouldn't even fit inside and Shmi would be terrified.

It was about to get dark as I entered. I had been out the entire day, we woke up quite late and I only met Embo around 2 o'clock. It was about 8 o'clock right now.

I entered just to see Anakin come back from Qui Gon's meeting. I saw he put something in his Comms and I approached him.

"The reading is off the chart. Over 20 000. Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high." Obi-Wan exclaimed. And even Qui-Gon looked shocked, but also a bit relieved.

"No Jedi has." He said.

"What does that mean?" Obi-Wan said. I had stopped and was standing just beside the view of Qui Gon through the door. Shmi had approached me and leaned at the door.

"I'm not sure." Qui Gon said. Shmi then looked at me before leaving.

Taking that opportunity I stepped forward and walked up to him.

"Seems we found a goldmine, eh." I said as we stepped up.

"Either a goldmine or a bomb." Qui Gon said shocking me. I sat beside him on the railing now.

"Well, personally I'd take the risk. The good the Gold can do has the potential to be worth much more than the potential of a bomb." I said and he looked at me with a different expression than usual.

"Luckily, I seem to own that goldmine." I said as shock spread throughout Qui Gon's face. I took out a paper concerning Anakin and held it out to him.

"He's got a one-of-a-kind talent in electronics." I said as he grabbed the paper.

"You bought him from Watto? How? A slave of his caliber costs over 2000 credits. And they don't accept Republic ones." Qui Gon said.

"As I told you, I happen to be rich. It was simply a matter of finding some travelers who wanted to exchange credits." I said as I lied through my teeth. But it wasn't good for him to know I predicted this.

"And it cost me 4500 republic credits, transferred to Hutt valuta." I said.

"Could you free him?" He asked.

"Even better, although he is one of a kind in electronics. He is one of a kind youngling too it seems. I'll give free him and his Mom. But I hope you remember this and that the Jedi Order owes me one in the future." I said and he nodded.

"I'll free him tomorrow after the race. No need to over-exert his thinking process by freeing him now. He has never been free and he probably could think of hundreds of thousands of things he wants to do. And then he'll never sleep." I said as I began chuckling.

Qui Gon nodded to me and looked at me with appreciation. I stood up and walked in.

"I'll make sure his mother is safe too." I said as I walked inside and into my room.

Sleepy sleep time.

__________________________-

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