Star Wars: Spice Runner

Chapter 02: Business Opportunity

Two stormtroopers escorted a droid off my ship, and I looked up from the card game Kenzah and I had been playing on the deck of the bay.

E9 was an engineering droid I'd built, ninth in the series. His head was perfectly spherical with numerous glowing red optical ports the size of small coins. The rest of his body was more square and only slightly rounded along the edges. The Imperials escorted E9 to a computer terminal and plugged him in for an analysis of his data files.

Most smugglers didn't like droids as their recorded memories could prove incriminating. Bars catering to smugglers had a strict no droid policy because of this. Knowing he'd be scanned on occasion, I'd created E9 with two memory cores. The first was where all his engineering data was stored, and it was the only one wired into the external data port the Imperials plugged into. Isolated inside, the second memory core contained all the data I wouldn't want falling into the wrong hands, such as my smuggling contacts, location of my secret storage compartments, and the cargo I carried of which the Empire wouldn't approve.

Unless E9 was disassembled, it was unlikely anyone would find the secondary memory unit. I forced myself to focus on the card game as I didn't want to let on the droid was important.

***

After the third scanning sweep of the Nova Star, the Captain returned my cargo permit and allowed us to leave.

"Thanks for the hospitality; it's been fun," I told the Captain. "Anytime you want to be detained and have your ship checked, just let me know."

Kenzah and E9 proceeded up the ramp into the ship while I imparted my final words to the Imperials. When I went up the ramp and closed it, Kenzah had a few words for me.

"Are you trying to get us shot?" Kenzah demanded.

"Just having a little fun," I defended with a grin.

"Let's get out of here before your fun gets us killed," she suggested.

"Fine," I agreed, following her into the cockpit. I warmed up the engines while she used the thrusters to push our ship outside the Star Destroyer.

The engines deployed, extending outward from the hull before firing to increase our departure from the Imperial defense force guarding the space of Kessel.

Pressing a control switch on the command board, I activated a system to check for any additional devices planted aboard my ship. No trackers or listening transmitters were detected, so I knew it was safe to talk.

"Plot us an evasive course to Ryloth," I said.

"Why Ryloth?" Kenzah asked. "Aren't we delivering our cargo to the Hutt Cartel?"

"Nope," I denied. "Not today."

"Who to then?" she asked. "The Black Sun?"

"Hardly," I dismissed. "The crime syndicate doesn't care about operations on the outer rim. They're more focused on the core worlds. Our buyer is a new player."

"Who?" she insisted.

"You'll see," I said with a grin. "Is the course set?"

"We're ready," Kenzah answered. "We'll jump in the direction of Nal Hutta, so the Empire will think we're going that direction if their scanners are still following. Before we get there, we'll drop out of hyperspace long enough to adjust course for Ryloth."

I pulled the levers to engage the light speed drive, and the stars outside the cockpit stretched, becoming long lines of light until they merged together into the luminescent tunnel of hyperspace.