BALANCE | A Star Wars story

X

Anthan Prime is not what I expected. Then again I don't really know what I was expecting.

      The planet is a shining blue colour mixed with strands of white looping round the planet. Hovering over the cobalt sphere is a tall pillar with two disks attached, the largest one at the very top and a smaller one nearer the bottom.

      Little amber squares are dotted evenly around the pillar and the disks indicating that there are thousands of rooms to be explored.

     "Are we going to that?" I point in the direction of the floating, whatever it is, and look over to the Hutt  sat on my left. My anger towards him still bubbles under the surface but I've managed to rein it in. Anger will get you nowhere Erin, do not allow yourself to succumb to it. Yet another one of Master Nilim's teachings, there was so many that I memorised so that I would always be able to refer back to them when I lost my way.

     "Yes." The Hutt says tersely then after a moments hesitation he continues, "it's the Anthan Spire. Home to... well everything but where were going—" he points at the bottom disk that is growing closer with every passing second. "That is where my informant should be."

      "Should?" I ask turning my head to look at him in disbelief.

      "They'll be there don't worry."

      "Well now I'm kinda worried."

      "Don't be." He turns his head so he can look at me, his eyes going with mischief and that frustrating smirk crawls up his cheek slightly and immediately an unfamiliar feeling settles in the force making me look away and face the Spire.

      The Libertas? Is that the name of the ship? Pretty sure that's what he said... anyway the Libertas grows closer and closer until I can see tens of ships flying in and out of docking port etched into the side of the disk.

       The intercom crackles and a male voice sounds from one of the overhead speakers.

     "YT-2400 please transmit clearance codes."

     "Transmitting," the Hutt replies as he sends the codes across. There is a brief pause as the codes transmit and they are checked.

     "YT-2400 you are cleared for access, hangar 6." A soft click can be heard as the man on the other side disconnects and the Hutt flies the ship a little to left where hangar 6 must be located.

The small Corellian ship flies into the open hangar and lands with a soft bump, all around me there are people walking across catwalks and droids wondering around on the hangar floor. The room is huge and you can see into the hangar on the left and right where ships are docked whilst the owners explore the Spire.

The Hutt is out of his seat immediately and shoves two blasters into the holsters, one on his hip and one on his thigh. He pulls on a thick winter coat lined with fur at the top and slides knives into the sleeves.

"Make sure you keep that lightsaber of yours on you it may come in handy, my informant isn't the most easy going person and this isn't the most easy going place." The Hutt says tightening his utility belt, I curl my right hand around my lightsaber and press it into my leg double checking with myself that it's actually there.

The Hutt stalks off down into the main hold and I follow him but wait in the doorway. He comes back a moment later holding a long black leather coat with fur at the top, a perfect match of his.

"Put this on," he pretty much demands shoving it in my arms.

"Why?"

"To hide your weapon, the people here aren't exactly fond of Jedi." He walks towards the outer hatch but hesitates before turning back around and going into the main hold again. I watch in confusion as he pushes aside boxes and opens a few.

"What are you doing? Can't we just go?" I ask desperate for this to be over faster.

"I'm looking for—" he stands up triumphantly strands of curly ebony hair fall onto his face and he shakes his head slightly to brush them aside. "—found one!" In that moment he looks more like a young boy who has just found some treasure that he parents hid for him instead of the cruel Hutt I know him to be.

"What?" I ask shrugging on the heavy coat, an intoxicatingly sweet scent invades my nose. There's a warm, musky, rich and honey like smell and also reminds me of the grasses on Naboo. I inhale the smell taking as much in as possible, it fills me with a peacefulness that I rarely feel, for once I feel content with myself.

"—want to cover it up... are you even listening to me?" The Hutts voice snaps me out of whatever daydream the scent lulled me into, I stand straighter and my eyes flick down the blaster lying in the Hutts hand that is pointing the blaster at me.

"Woah! What you doing with that?" I say holding up my hands slightly in surrender.

"Calm down I'm not going to shoot you," he rolls his eyes. "As I was saying, you should cover up the lightsaber but have this blaster and kinda show it off so people know you have it otherwise some may or may not try and jump you."

"Oh," I lower my hands and take the blaster. "Well at least you aren't going to shoot me."

"Not yet, it depends on how much you get on my nerves."

"But you need me to help you," I say a little sarcastically as I place the blaster in the holster on my belt and moving my lightsaber so it's out of sight, hidden in a deep pocket of the coat. I don't like it when I can't see it, I like to always be able to see it so I know I won't loose it because without this lightsaber I am nothing.

"I'm sure I could just kidnap some other less annoying Jedi." He walks over to the hatch and presses the button the let down the ramp.

"Unfortunately for you the others are more annoying." A lie, the rest are actually good Jedi who would get angry like I did.

"That's a shame, not sure if I could deal with a more annoying Jedi I'm getting fed up of you." Despite his words there is no malice behind his tone and it makes me roll my eyes a small smile gracing my lips. But then it's gone as soon as it came and I follow the Hutt down the ramp and out into the Anthan Spire.