Star Wars Rebels: Teenage Response

The Job (Part Three)

The heat of Tatooine hit Sabine again as she left the Shadow Caster with Ketsu. She much preferred the cool air of Coruscant than this, and Bakura for that matter...the only thing this intense sun was good for was keeping her tan up.
The two Mandalorians walked the short distance to the moisture farm, vaparators could be seen extending from the ground as well as a large Bantha mammal which seemed to be domestic to the farm. The man that had given them their contract to start with had seen their ship land and was waiting for them, watching them approach. He was not wearing his cloak, which allowed Sabine to distinguish him as a relatively aged man, around the fifties.
"Good, you have the cargo" Sufar said pleased. "Take it down to the lower level...and I'll prepare your payment".
They complied and headed into the small dome-like structure, where a set of stairs led them down to the lower levels of the moisture farm. Crops were being grown down here, likely using the water that was generated by the farm. This is how the regular farmers of Tatooine made their living, after all...
This man is no regular farmer. He has to be a slaver...
But if this is the slaver, where are the slaves?
They were approached by a woman, who appeared to be roughly the same age as Sufar. She looked rather happy to see them.
"These were the Mandalorians you were talking about?" She said to Sufar. "Hm...the bounty hunters get younger and younger, don't they?"
The man looked unamused with her presence and waved her away, telling her to leave them. She would not budge so easily, however.
"Now, now Sufar..." She began lecturing him. "Where are your manners? Are you not going to give your guests a proper welcome? Something to eat, perhaps? You've sent the poor girls from one side of the Galaxy to the other..."
Sufar looked increasingly more annoyed, and Ketsu rolled her eyes behind her helmet...she was not interested in their hospitality, only the credits of which she was owed. Sabine, however, decided to humble the woman's kindness...and investigate the farm a little, gain a better understanding of what she had gotten herself into...and hopefully confirm some suspicions.
"Well, I am a little hungry..." Sabine admitted, placing a purposefully shy tone on her voice.
She shrugged at Ketsu, who sighed. Sufar mumbled and waved both Sabine and his wife away, going his separate with with Ketsu.
"Come, Onyo...we'll handle your payment".
Sabine followed the woman to her kitchen. She needed to keep her eyes peeled...she couldn't let Ketsu know she was snooping around otherwise she'd be very annoyed with her...and that was the last thing she wanted right now. Sabine's occupation as a Rebel compelled her to delve deeper into the situation...she needed a better understanding.
Even if I found what I was looking for...what would I even be able to do about it?

Sabine was sat at the kitchen table, glancing around at the room. Nothing suspicious...if it wasn't for the contents of the cargo she had delivered here, Sabine wouldn't have suspected a thing about this place.
"Don't mind my husband, he's just cranky at times" The woman told Sabine as the girl was eating some Bantha cheese. "He's a kind person, really. When you meet the perfect man, you'll come to appreciate their flaws as much as their qualities".
The Rebel smiled to herself and let out a chuckle.
"Well, can't say I'm into men..." She stated, surprising the woman before taking another bite of cheese and speaking with a full mouth. "But...I get your advice".
Ketsu certainty had flaws. She was way too focused on the betterment of her pockets rather than those around her, Sabine was the only one she cared about. Sabine was determined to change Ketsu, but she was quite stubborn...she would really like to make Ketsu a member of the Rebellion.
Oh boy, how awkward it would be for me if Ketsu met Ezra.
When Sabine got a closer look at the wife, she noticed she had a fading bruise around her left eye. That didn't fill her with much confidence, this Sufar was not only a likely slaver but a domestic abuser. That was already reason enough for Sabine to ditch the contract...but it was too late, now.
The Mandalorian smiled at the woman, and decided not to bring up her injury. She wondered if this woman was also a slaver...it was a possibility.
"What's it like working on a moisture farm?" She asked. "Hard work?"
Time to play the chatting game.
"The vaporators always need constant maintenance, it can be hard work" She told her "I handle the growing of the crops whereas my husband deals with the sales of the water we produce"
Sabine's raised an eyebrow.
"So...if you're the gardener and your husband is the salesman...who handles the maintenance?" She asked.
The woman opened her mouth to speak, and stuttered to form a response. It confused Sabine, because the only two people who seemed to work here was the two adults.
"Uh...my husband, of course!" She replied. "He's a mechanic too, you know".
Sabine wasn't convinced, but she let the question drop and nodded.
Hmm, something is fishy.
"Speaking of your husband, how'd you and him meet?" Sabine asked politely, appealing to the woman's sense of kindness for the younger generations.
The woman sighed and sat opposite her.
"Well, it's funny...at first I was a mere slave to him..." She explained. "But in time we grew to love eachother...he was a wonderful man until...well, never mind".
Sabine leaned forward and looked at her curiously, smiling sweetly.
"Until...?" She verbally pressed.
The woman shook her head and shrugged.
"Oh, it's nothing" She assured her. "I'm just rambling, that's all!"
Sabine leaned back and thought hard. The woman was hiding something, but what? It was easy to assume that Sufar was not as nice as the lady claimed he was.
"Well, just to let ya know..." Sabine pointed to the Rebel insignia on her breastplate. "I'm here to help, if you need it...I'm not a bounty hunter, I'm with the Rebellion. Onyo is just my friend, that's all".
The woman recognised the symbol on the girls armour, and she almost let out a gasp of relief. It was something Sabine noticed, only furthering her suspicions of this place.
I'll leave her to think.
She stood up and thanked the woman for the food, slipping her helmet back on.
"Excuse me, do you have a bathroom around here?" Sabine asked, she didn't really need it but anything would work well as an excuse for her to look around. She was given general directions, and she thanked the woman again before leaving her in the kitchen. The wife was left sitting at the table, left in deep thought.
Even if there's nothing I can do...I need to know what I got myself involved in. Who is Ketsu helping?
Then again, it was Sabine who chose this contract...the least suspicious looking of all the available jobs...and yet, even this didn't look clean.
The Mandalorian headed in the general directions that were given to her, keeping her eyes focused on anything suspicious. So it appeared that the woman was a slave to Sufar, but freed her when he married her. Why would he need slaving supplies of this scale when there appeared to be no slaves on the farm? Was he a supplier? It seemed likely.
As Sabine walked, she noticed Ketsu and Sufar still walking together, discussing other contracts for the future. It seemed that Sufar was pleased with their work and wished to hire them again in the future.
"Another ten thousand, you say?" Ketsu said intrigued, then noticing Sabine. "Wren, where are you going?"
Sabine jerked her head to look at her, and quickly explained herself.
"Just going to the bathroom, that's all" She told them.
Sufar didn't seem happy with it, and gave Sabine very detailed directions before walking off with Ketsu again. Sabine was surprised at Ketsu's sudden change in attitude...she was so serious when she was working...Sabine didn't like that, she enjoyed it when the two could just fool around.
Hm, but we'll see how serious she is when I'm pinning her on a bed...
Sabine continued walking, glancing around the surroundings, when she heard paced footsteps behind her. When she turned, she saw Sufar's wife looking rather unhappy as she approached.
"If you are who you say you are..." She murmured. "Perhaps there is something you can help me with..."
Sabine had her full attention grabbed. It appeared that all was not well as the woman made seem...
Ketsu may be a bounty hunter...but I'm still a Rebel.
"What can I help you with?" Sabine asked.
The woman hesitated. She wanted to tell Sabine all her troubles, to hope that she could solve them...she had a pain that she needed to be removed of, but couldn't do it herself.
"I think it's best that I show you..." She said to her.
Sabine nodded and followed the woman. She began to speculate what she had to show...perhaps slaves? Maybe Sufar was the only one who was in on this whole affair relating to the cargo. Whatever it was that needed to be seen, it would have to quick...Ketsu and Sufar likely won't take much longer in a simple discussion...and Sufar was unlikely to be so forgiving of his wife, if the black eye was anything to go by, Sabine doubted it was a mere accident.
No matter what happens...just gotta think, what would Hera do? What would Kanan do?
Although she was not currently with the crew...it didn't mean that she didn't think like them. She was a Rebel, and she wasn't going to allow herself to be degraded into a bounty hunter by Ketsu...as much as she loved her.
Well, let's see what's going on here...