sparky // a padawan story

chapter 51. back to batuu.

I hear a knock at the door of my quarters. I open the door with the Force and sit my book to the side.
"Hello, Master," I say as Obi-Wan walks in.
"Hello, my dear Padawan. What're you up to?"
"Trying to keep my mind off things by reading. So not much."
"Right. Well... I have some news." He hesitantly sits next to me on my couch, pulling his robe around him a bit tighter.
I sigh. "Just spit it out, then."
"Your homeworld has gotten involved in some Separatist entanglements."
"But I thought they were neutral?"
"They are. But since Satine's death, a lot of the Council of Neutral Systems has gone a bit rogue."
"I don't understand. I could never see the Duke doing anything like this. As far as I know, he's always wanted to keep Batuu out of the mess."
"The Duke is the one that called for help. The one making deals with the Separatists... is your father, Arlo."
"Oh, hell no. I know you're not about to ask me what I think you're about to ask me."
"We've been sent on a mission to Batuu to stop him."
"Absolutely not. I'm sitting out on this one."
"Arlo... the Council needs you to go."
"And do you really think I care about what the Council 'needs'? I don't even trust them anymore! I'm not doing it."
"Arlo, listen to me—"
"No, listen to me!" I shoot up from the couch, standing over him. "Don't you understand the things I went through on that planet? And now the Council is making me go back? And you let them? What the hell, Obi-Wan! What happened to being on my side?"
"I wouldn't have let them do it if I didn't think you're ready, you know that!" he says, voice raised slightly as he stands up in front of me and crosses his arms. "And if you would just listen to me, you'd probably know that by now."
"Fine, I'm listening!"
"Batuu is in the Council of Neutral Systems, right? So, legally, your father isn't supposed to be making deals with the Separatists. He's been selling illegal munitions to some of the biggest Separatist worlds. And if the Separatists are involved, it automatically becomes a Republic matter. We have to try to negotiate with him, or—"
"He's not gonna negotiate—"
"Or we have to find his storages and destroy them." He pauses and puts his hands on my shoulders. "This is crucial, Arlo. Batuu practically controls its section of the Outer Rim. If they turn, the rest will soon follow. The tide of this war would completely change. All the work we've done out there will have been for nothing."
I sigh. "I know. But I know my limits. I can't do it."
"But you're not going through it alone. You have me. We need you, because you're the only person who can deal with someone like him. Please, Arlo."
I take a deep breath. "If you think I can... then let's just go get it over with." I walk over to my closet and grab my dark grey robe and slip it on as I follow Obi-Wan out the door and to the landing platform onto a Jedi ship.
"General, Commander," Cody greets us. Instead of his usual armor, he wears a disguise. A navy tunic with a loose hood and a dark brown vest and pants, along with a belt with a blaster tucked in the holster. A typical outfit you'd see at the Black Spire Outpost. He looks uncomfortable out of his armor.
"Hey, Cody," I say. "Ready to come relieve my traumatic past with me?"
"Well, you sound very enthusiastic, Commander," he says as we enter the ship.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Yes, let's have at least a little bit of optimism, Arlo," Obi-Wan says as he sits at the pilot's seat. Cody sits behind him, and I sit next to him in the copilot's seat.
"We might get to blow something up. Yay, I'm so excited now," I state, completely monotone, arms crossed.
"That's a good enough reason to come for me," Cody states. Obi-Wan flies the ship off of Coruscant and into space.
"But not the outfit?" I ask jokingly. "Holy kriff, Cody, I just realized, we're totally scar twins! Mine starts almost exactly where yours ends!" I say as I point to my cheek. "Except yours is on the wrong side of your face."
Cody chuckles. "Yours might be a bit worse than mine, Commander."
"Eh, lightsabers aren't too bad," I stay sarcastically. "Besides, I'd rather be back on my almost-death bed than on this mission right now."
"Don't say that, Arlo," Obi-Wan scolds as the ship enters hyperspace.
"This isn't some happy-go-lucky reunion, Obi-Wan. We're not here to get all buddy-buddy with the drug dealers. If you think that if I just appear after 11 years and say 'Hey, dad, maybe not get involved with the Seppies?', and he'll respond with 'Of course, Arlo! I'd do anything for you!', then you are sadly mistaken. It may have escaped your notice, but this guy is a psychopath. Everything I've told you about him has done him absolutely no justice to explain how horrible he really is."
"I'm sure. Well, here's our plan. Arlo, you're going to lead me to your father. I can negotiate. Cody, since you're in disguise, can blend in outside. If your father doesn't cooperate with negotiations—"
"Which he won't," I interrupt.
"Right. Cody will have the explosives, so he'll look around the area for the stored munitions, and hopefully he can get in there and arm the detonators, then blow it up."
"Sounds like a good plan to me, General," Cody says.
"We need a rendezvous point," Obi-Wan states. "Any suggestions, Arlo?"
I think for a moment. "...Oga's Cantina. I'll show you where it is, I think we need to make a quick stop there first."
"What for?" Obi-Wan questions.
"To double check a few things. Trust me."
"Very well. Jumping out of hyperspace now," Obi-Wan tells us as we exit hyperspace and approach my homeworld. I feel myself tense up as we enter the atmosphere. Obi-Wan looks at me worriedly. "Arlo?"
"I... I need a minute, I think." I walk slowly out of the cockpit and towards the main hold, and slide my back down the wall into a sitting position and hug my legs, head in my knees.
I can't do this.
"Commander Just, we've— Commander?" Cody asks as he exits the cockpit and catches sight of me. I hesitantly walks over to me and kneels beside me.
"I can't do it, Cody. I'm staying on the ship."
"...Arlo." The unusual use of my real name causes me to look at up him. "Don't say you can't do it. I've never seen or heard you say you can't do something, and we're not starting with that today. You hear me? Do it for your people back home, for the you that ran away from here. Because saying you can't is just letting him win."
I nod. "You're right, Cody. I'd be damned if I were to ever let him win."
He pats my knee. "There's our Commander."
Obi-Wan walks out of the cockpit and his face falls in concern when he sees me. He kneels next to Cody. "Arlo, dear, you know I won't let him hurt you."
"...Yeah. I do. Now let's just get this over with before I regret it." Obi-Wan helps me up as Cody goes to storage to start gathering the explosives. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and I exit the ship and are met with the Duke of Batuu standing outside on the landing platform to greet us, along with four of his guards.
"Welcome back to Batuu, Master Jedi," the Duke greets me.
"Thank you, Your Highness," I say with a bow. "I wish it were under better circumstances, of course. I do believe introductions are in order. Your Majesty, this is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"It's a pleasure, sir," Obi-Wan greets with a small bow.
"The pleasure is mine. If you can convince Abraham Casimir and his little friends to stop this treachery once and for all, I will owe you greatly. We've done as much as we can, but we just can't seem to find a way to put a stop to this. We are very grateful to the Republic for sending you both."
"You will not owe us anything, Your Highness. I just want to help my people and put my father to justice at last."
"Then I will not get in your way. Thank you, Master Jedi." We bow one last time as him and his guards walk away. Obi-Wan turns to me and crosses his arms as Cody walks back out of the ship with a satchel full of detonators.
"Might I remind you we didn't come here for revenge, Arlo?" Obi-Wan questions as I begin to lead us towards the Black Spire Outpost.
"I didn't say revenge, I said justice."
"Nonetheless, we're not here to pick a fight with him and his posse. We're going to try to negotiate with him."
"And I'm here to tell you that negotiation alone won't work," I say, putting up the hood of my robe as we begin to walk down the streets. Obi-Wan does the same.
Walking down the streets fills me with a strange nostalgia. The forest and mountains off in the horizon, the trees scattered about along the streets and beside buildings. I recognize the faces of many of the vendors that line the streets. All of the same shops, bars, and restaurants are still there. The alleyways are littered with mysterious and shady people making deals with each other, exchanging goods, or hiding. The offworlders that don't come here often are easy to spot, because every single one of them looks uneasy. We walk near Smuggler's Alley, and I stop the three of us outside the most popular place in the whole Spire.
"This is Oga's Cantina, so we'll rendezvous here unless something goes wrong," I tell them, hushed. "Oga's the local crime boss, so knows everything that goes on around here. But she absolutely despises my father. She likes me, so she'd be willing to help us, but she especially will help if it's hurting his business. Try to let me do all the talking. I know that's hard for you sometimes, Master," I joke.
"Oh, hush, Sparky. Let's get on with this, then."
"Oh, and, uh... try not to stare."
"At what?" Cody asks.
"...Any of it," I say as I enter the cantina and take my old seat at the bar. Cody and Obi-Wan stand close behind me as the waiter walks up to me.
"Sorry, kid, I can't—" he starts.
"Can you go get me Oga?"
His brows furrow. "You sure about that? Not many—"
Oh, so this guy is new. I roll my eyes. "She knows me. Go get her."
"Okay then." He goes to the back and brings out Oga, a tan female Blutopian. She walks up to me behind the counter. I move my hood just enough so she can see who I am.
"Oh, spires! Arlo! It's so—" she starts, but I quickly shush her.
"I'm happy to see you too, Oga, but I'm afraid I don't have much time to catch up," I say in a hushed voice.
"At least let me get you the usual, on the house," she says as she pours me a glass of jakobeast milk. "Fresh from Ordt Plutonia. Who're your pals?"
"This is my master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and my good friend Commander Cody," I say as I take a sip of the slightly grey milk.
"Spires! I thought Obi-Wan Kenobi was a myth! So you're a Jedi now? Oh, and you've got a lightsaber, too!" She points to my saber on my belt.
I chuckle softly. "I am, and yeah, I do."
"Good for you, kiddo! I'm surprised to even see you alive. Once I found out your pops killed your momma, I thought you were dead, too."
"No, I ran away. Then I was found by the Jedi and trained by them. But... when'd you find out he killed her?"
"Right after you disappeared. We were worried sick around here. I'm sure all the regulars would love to see ya, but you don't got time, do ya?"
"Maybe another day, I will. I am back here because of my father, though."
"I hear he's involving himself with those Seppie bastards now," she whispers to me.
"He is. I need to know if he's still doing business where he was before."
"Mhm. But you'd better be careful 'round there. Gets more dangerous every day, 'specially with them Seppies sneakin' round."
"I'll be just fine. Thank you so much, Oga," I say as I finish the rest of my drink.
"No problem, kiddo. Just do me a favor. If you see that crazy son of a womp rat Hondo Ohnaka 'round, tell him to get his ass back here. He owes me a kriff ton of money. He'll listen to you, you're close. He'd be happy to know you're still livin'."
"I'll let him know. I cross paths with him every so often."
"Oh, so he knows and he didn't tell me? You'd better tell him to get over here right now, then!"
I laugh. "I will, Oga. Thank you, but we must be off now."
She nods. "I understand. Till the spire, Arlo, friends of Arlo," she says as she walks to the other side of the bar. I lower my hood again and get up, and the three of us walk out the cantina and down the familiar route home. We start towards the end of Smuggler's Alley, then take a right into an even smaller alley. This is where the shadiest deals go about. This is where I lived.
"Keep your hoods up, and try not to draw attention," I whisper. "Cody, now would be a good time to start looking for these supplies. And trust me when I say everyone down here is hiding something, so no one's gonna question why you're hiding or what's in your bag."
"Got it, Commander."
"Make sure you've got your com ready at all times," Obi-Wan adds. "If you find them, turn on your tracking device, we'll come find you."
"Yes, sir," he says, then sneaks away. Obi-Wan and I take another right into another dark, seemingly abandoned alley. But I know better. We walk straight for a bit until I turn us into a small, narrow passageway, stopping at the fourth door down. I hold my hand up to knock, but hesitate.
Obi-Wan places his hand on my shoulder. "It's all right. I can take most of it from here," he says as I move to the side.
"Knock 5 times slow. Lets him know we're here for business," I tell him. He does as I say.
One of his friends opens the door. "State your business."
"You will let us talk to your boss," Obi-Wan says with a wave of his hand.
He falls into a trance. "I... will let you talk to my boss." He moves the side as we walk into my old house. I lead them through the dark house, walking past the messy kitchen, the even messier living room, and past my old room. I peek inside as I walk past for a brief moment. Surprisingly, everything is how it was when I ran away. There was still a large hole in the middle of the wall, the lamp on my dresser knocked onto it's side, and a sloppy drawing of Hondo and I podracing hanging up by my bed. We walk into the back of the house into an office with no windows or light except of the singular lamp on the desk, where my father sat. He looks the same as I remember. His hair is slicked and his face is clean, but he absolutely reeks of drugs. We step in front of him, a decent distance from his desk. I tense up as he glares at us. Two of his friends close the door behind us and stand guard at the door.
"What's this?" he sneers. I flinch slightly at his voice.
"Here for business," his friend tells him.
"What the hell did I tell you to say? I told you we have an important client soon, and to not let anyone in! Damnit, I don't even know why I keep you employed." He turns back to us. "So what do you want?"
Obi-Wan lifts the hood of his robe and steps forward. "I want to know who this client is. I'm curious if it has anything to do with, oh, I don't know, Separatists?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Jedi," he lies.
"Oh, I believe you do. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, and you must be the Abraham Casimir that I've heard so much about."
"And how would you know about me?"
"Word spreads fast when there's neutral words conspiring with Separatists."
"Batuu is neutral. Even if I was working with the Separatists, you and your Republic couldn't do anything about it."
"Oh, but we could. If the Separatists are involved, so is the Republic."
"But the Separatists aren't involved."
"I told you negotiation would never work," I say to Obi-Wan through the Force.
"I know, I know. Just give me a minute, I'm trying to think of something else."
"Do you have any actual proof of these accusations?" my father questions.
Suddenly, I snap. "Oh, cut the bullshit. We know what you've been up to. How stupid do you think we are?" Obi-Wan turn back to me, wide eyed, surprised I even spoke. Honestly, I'm shocked I was able to bring myself to do it, too.
But I have no time for second thoughts or regrets as I feel my father's cold gaze rest upon me. "And you are?"
I remove my hood as I step towards him. "Oh, I need no introduction."
—
we're gonna ignore the fact that i'm pretty much just making up my own arc of the clone wars because i just feel the need to address the fact than i have the absolute fattest crush on commander cody irl. like, sir, i do not at all care that you're literally copy and paste, i am BEGGING for your hand in marriage. okay now that i've got that off my chest i'll go start working on the next chapter now
thanks for reading! -a 🪐