Chapter 36
Renn sat on the back of a speeder filled with water and food supplies. Two identical speeders were parked nearby, and Alpha and Spark were milling around checking on the supplies. They were waiting on the edge of tusken raider territory by a large rocky outcrop and so far, had been waiting for almost two hours.
Crow and Earl were hidden up on the rocks and were watching the desert for any approaching dangers. The group was out here to try and make contact with a local tribe of sand people to try and get their support in attacking Gardulla the Hutts factory.
"We have a group of sand people approaching on banthas." Crow's voice sounded over the comm.
"Great, we've been in this desert for ages. I can't wait to finally wash the sand out of my circuits." Spark moaned indignantly as he turned to look at the approaching banthas.
"Remember we want to make friends not enemies. So, try not to offend anyone." Renn said as he jumped off the crate he was sat on.
"Why do I feel that was directed at me?" Spark asked curiously.
"Cause it was, idiot." Crow cut in from over the comm.
"Quiet you two" Alpha said stopping the impending argument before it could start.
The banthas came up to the parked speeders and eight tusken raiders dismounted and looked around warily. After discussing something among themselves in their loud guttural language two of the sand people walked forward while the others stayed back.
Renn and Alpha stepped forward to meet them and soon the four were stood in the gap between the two groups. Renn couldn't speak the tusken langue properly, so Alpha was coming with him to translate as well as to protect him in case things went wrong.
"Hi" Renn said and waved at the lead tusken raider, who just stared emotionlessly at him.
"We are here to propose a trade" Renn said, and Alpha translated. The sand people still just stared silently.
"You are having problems with the Hutts. You now the slug people?" this started to get the sand peoples attention and they began acting more interested.
"We are having our own problems with them and so would like to propose joining forces in fighting them. They have a factory on the edge of your territory and if we can attack that we can lure more of their forces into a trap.
We will fight with you and can offer food, water, and other supplies to help your tribe. So, what's your opinion?" Renn gestured to the supplies on the speeders and waited for the sand people's response.
The two tusken raiders looked at each other before moving back to their friends and began loudly discussing what to do. Renn and Alpha stood waiting for the discussion to end and after a few minutes the two tusken raiders walked back over to deliver their reply.
"They accept our proposal but want us to come with them to sort some other details out." Alpha translated the series of roars the leader of the group of sand people let out for Renn.
"Okay" Renn accepted and soon Renn, Alpha and Spark were loaded into the three speeders and began following the trail of banthas into the Jundland wastes.
"Crow. You, and Earl follow from a safe distance. Stay out of sight." Alpha whispered over the comm to the two hidden droids who then began quietly following the procession.
-
"The mighty Jabba has a lucrative business opportunity for you" The protocol droid said in its tinny voice.
"The situation with his competitor Gardulla has reached the perfect opportunity for our intervention." The droid continued, getting no reply from the figure sat opposite it.
"The mighty Jabba would like to finally seize control of Tatooine, and a man of your skills could be very helpful to us.
We would like you to assault Gardulla's palace and end her as a competitor to the noble Jabba. Of course, we are willing to compensate you handsomely for the risks involved." The droid finished and passed a data-pad across the table with the full details of the job on it.
The figure leaned forward to retrieve the data-pad. until this point, he had been cloaked in shadows but now he was revealed to be wearing shining silver armour. The armoured man studied the data-pad silently for several moments before placing it gently back on the table.
"I'll do it, but I want thirty percent more than what your offering" he told the droid.
"That is agreeable to us". The droid said happy that an agreement could be reached.
The armoured man then stood and walked out of the small cantina and out into the crowded street outside, pulling a cloak on as he left.
-
Renn and the others followed the sand people and after travelling for a while they arrived in a large valley. The valley was filled with tents with sand people and banthas scattered around them.
Most tribes of sand people only contained around thirty people but there were hundreds filling the valley, making Renn think that this was a meeting place for multiple tribes. His suspicions were confirmed when they were led into a large tent where several warlords sat around a small fire.
Renn and Alpha sat by the fire after on of the tusken raiders who led them there directed them to do so. They then waited as the warlords of the sand people began conversing with each other.
"They are apparently a warband made up of multiple local tribes with the intent to attack the Hutts. They want to know why we want to help them." Alpha told Renn after the warlords finished talking amongst themselves.
Renn and Alpha then began giving the assembled warlords a brief history of why they were willing to fight the Hutts and their plan for dealing with them, as well as the rewards they were offering to the sand people as a reward.
After hearing Renn's story the warlords went back to talking to each other in their unique language.
"The tribal chiefs think you are a warlord yourself and believe you are requesting to join us as the Hutts are threatening on of your clan members." One of the warlords said in fluent galactic basic.
"That's essentially accurate." Renn said slowly, slightly surprised at the warlord speaking galactic basic instead of the sand peoples own language.
"And you're willing to fight with us?" the warlord looked straight at Renn appraisingly, while the other chieftains watched silently.
"Yes. We were planning on fighting alone but with your help we all stand a better chance." Renn said holding the warlord's gaze.
The warlords then began talking again and Alpha stayed quiet now that they found out that one of the warlords could understand basic.
"The tribes find your proposal agreeable. However, the factory is a blight on our lands. We want it destroyed and the land returned to the desert." The warlord spoke.
"Sure, we've got no problem with that." Renn said smiling that they could come to an agreement.
-
After the meeting was over Renn and Alpha were shown around the camp by the warlords. The sand people weren't very trusting of strangers, but the warlords were able to smooth over any problems before they occurred.
Once the tour was over, they were left alone with the warlord that spoke basic who stood looking at them.
"I'm surprised you haven't asked about why I can speak basic." The warlord said looking at Renn while tilting his head curiously, "And about why an eight-year-old is leading a clan."
"I am curious, but I didn't want to be impolite. And I started leading my clan because I was the last living member." Renn said looking at the warlord.
"I'm sorry for your loss" the warlord said sympathetically.
"It's okay, I'm not alone just yet." Renn said looking at Alpha with a small smile.
"Indeed, you seem to have a strange clan there." The warlord observed. "And although you never asked, I can speak basic because long ago I used to live on Coruscant."
"But I thought Sand people refused to leave Tatooine." Renn asked interested.
"They don't. I was not born on Tatooine, I moved here after leaving my old life behind. I was accepted by a clan of sand people and eventually became the warlord of the tribe." The warlord said wistfully.
"What did you do in your old life?" Renn asked the man.
"I used to be a jedi knight." The warlord said simply before walking slowly off, leaving Renn and Alpha to process what he had just said.