Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Mos Espa

Finally! The city! Obi-Wan sighs with relief. Their journey through the desert is over! The teenager can see gleaming white houses in every direction. It's bigger than he expected.

« See, that was the right direction! » Padmé points out.

« Indeed it was. I should not have doubted, your Majesty. »

The girl smiles with pride. It's not hard to understand that she was also worried about having taken the wrong path. The young man is aware that they were mostly lucky. To succeed in orienting yourself correctly on an unknown planet is no small feat. What remains of the journey seems more comfortable now that their anxiety has subsided. Obi-Wan notices that people are busy. There is activity and many ships are landing in the desert. What's going on? A group of women hold up a banner covered in colorful hieroglyphics. The little girl puts her hand on her forehead to protect herself from the sun, before saying:

« It says, 'Let's celebrate the birthday of our great Jabba!' »

« Well, good timing! We could use this event. »

Padmé refrains from answering. She seems worried. The teenager realizes this and asks her:

« Is something wrong? »

« No... it's nothing. Just a weird feeling. »

Obi-Wan also has a strange impression. Something is drawing him to this place. They reach the outskirts and enter the city. The inhabitants are far too preoccupied with decorations to pay attention to two travelers. The young man surreptitiously observes the guards patrolling the street. They all wear the golden armor of the Mandreloukh cohorts, slave-legionaries of the Hutts. A leather strap with a crest falls from their right shoulder: it is the owner's coat of arms. The young man estimates the presence of a dozen clans. He approaches the girl and whispers:

« We should keep a low profile. »

« It would be wise, yes. » She replies.

The Jedi discreetly removes the lightsaber from his belt and hides it in a special pocket on his clothing. The main street is crowded. There are merchants everywhere, chatting loudly and shouting prices. The place is protected from sun by multicolored canopies. A sweet smell of spices, grilled meat and tea fills the place. Padmé's eyes fill with stars : she is fascinated by the sight! Four Mandreloukhs armed with bone blasters march down the avenue. The Hutts have a dark habit of building weapons from the remains of their opponents. A high quality slave, such as an excellent craftsman or a talented artist, will have all his teeth pulled out before he is sold. They use this as a currency for favors.

« I'll be back! » Exclaims the little girl.

She disappears before Obi-Wan can react. The young man has no choice but to wait. He moves away from the crowd and settles against a wall, examining the stalls. There is everything: food, tools, droids, clothes, etc. The hygiene leaves much to be desired. Meat is lying in the sand! Vegetables are left in a foul-smelling liquid. It is disgusting. The most surprising thing is that people buy all these products without hesitation! The Jedi wouldn't be surprised to find that medical centers are making a fortune on this planet. The teenager suddenly wonders if it wouldn't be easier to rent a ship. All we'd have to do is find a pilot willing to make the trip to Coruscant. No, that's a stupid idea... Qui-Gon certainly has a good reason for not choosing this solution.

The noise rises in the crowd. It's a blue humanoid covered in hair, arguing with an orange tentacled mass. They come to a fight. They brawl like crazy, throwing themselves to the ground. A group approaches to shout encouragement. Someone even starts to offer bets! An old man pulls out his musical instrument and starts playing it with some of his friends, singing over the ruckus. A dozen of children run down the avenue, shoving everything in their path. They knocked over cages, allowing the animals to escape. A peddler immediately barks in the direction of the kids, but it's no use. They are already far away. The tough guy can only run after his merchandise. Obi-Wan's suit is tugged: it's Padmé!

« Are you waiting for someone, brave knight? »

The young man sneers: 

« Yes! A girl who is about your size and is prone to leave me out. »

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« What an uneducated child! That said, don't you think she has a justification for acting like this? I think so. »

« I'm curious to know your opinion, then. »

« People respond more amicably to her questions when she is not accompanied by a young man, admittedly attractive, but still rather threatening. »

« It's... it's right... »

« You see? Kids in this day and age know what they're doing! »

The teenager can only laugh, again.

« So, what did you find out? »

« Small talk, mostly. This town is called Mos Espa. It's the closest thing to a planetary capital. There are dealerships to the north, but... »

« But? »

« We're going to have a hard time finding what we're looking for. Jabba's birthday is a boon to the merchants. They've all sold out! »

« That's problematic... »

« Let's be optimistic, there may be something left! »

« I guess we don't have a better option, so let's go. » Obi-Wan sighs.

The two start moving again, this time heading north. They pass the local Force faith temple. The structure is in disrepair. It looks like it's been abandoned for decades. Everything is trashed! Even the holy murals are in terrible shape! What has happened? What has become of the priest? Then they reach a large square covered by a huge crowd. A smell of carrion rises. The young man covers his nose with a handkerchief to protect himself from it. A metal platform was erected in haste in front of many cages. The onlookers are crowding in by the dozens. A deep voice calls out above them:

« Buyers, come closer! Come all and admire the latest catches of our wonderful Jabba! »

The man in charge is a creature covered in bark. His lower limbs are crab-like. He is dressed in a rainbow costume and raises his long arms towards the cages presenting... slaves! There are hundreds of them! Some are young children coming from the outer rim. But mostly, you can see Republican Navy uniforms. A military crew! The captain, a bearded man, is covered with oozing wounds. His teeth have been taken out. On his left, one can notice a woman with her right arm severed at the elbow. What remains is gangrenous. The other prisoners are barely in better shape. Have they been tortured?

« Don't be fooled by their unfortunate appearance! Send all these brave people to a medical center and they will have enough stamina to serve you for decades! Look at their toughness! Look at these women who would make great maids! Or even those children with their nimble hands! Come on, come on, don't you need all those hands to accomplish your delicate tasks? Then don't hesitate! To celebrate our benefactor's birthday, every slave purchased will come with a second one, courtesy of the house! »

A hubbub takes over the crowd and some are already shouting proposals. The auction begins. A shameful sight. Obi-Wan clenches his fists. He strode toward the stage with determination, but find himself stopped in his tracks by Padmé. The girl does not look at him, but it is easy to see her expression. The teenager watches as the audience rushes to snatch the slaves from the cages and fight over them like bags of grain. The young man's blood begins to boil, but he prefers to go back on his way, letting just a few tears run down his cheeks. There's too much at stake. The mission comes first.

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