The Knight's Move

With the rain pouring over their heads, Ji-To, Wando and her brother Haladin waited in the shadows near a landing pad. Kanta had assured them, his contact would meet them here, but so far nobody had arrived.

"I'm telling you, this scavenger is not showing up." Ji-To was staring up into the sky, looking for a ship of any sorts.

"Just wait", Wando insisted. "Maybe he was forced to take a detour. Due to the rain. Let's give him a little more time."

"Wando is right, Ji-To." Haladin was observing the nearby street to check for eavesdroppers. "If Kanta says this is the place, then this is the place."

"Sure. I was just expecting someone waiting for hard money to be more reliable."

"Well", Haladin shrugged. "Not everyone is as strict as the imperial military."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ji-To gave Haladin an angry look, but Wando stepped between them before they got any stupid ideas.

"It's supposed to mean, we should wait a little longer. Please, Ji-To, this is important."

The former trooper grunted.

"I just don't like being this deep in imperial space."

"I know, none of us are at ease", Wando agreed. "Just do it for me. We will wait only a little bit more."

"Looks like we don't have to. Up there!"

With its blinding headlight illuminating the landing pad, a shuttle slowly descended from the clouds. The sound of rain pounding against the metal hull was covered by the roaring engines in their everlasting battle with gravity. On three solid metal feet the shuttle came to a stand. Thick steam filled the wet air, as the boarding ramp opened up. Ji-To cursed out loud.

"This is an imperial transport!" he whispered. "Get back, get away from it!"

He sunk deeper into the shadows where the darkness would hide him from the familiar eyes of the Empire, but to Wando's surprise only a single person left the shuttle and it was no stormtrooper. He appeared to be roughly the same age as Kanta, but instead of a dirty, unused Pilot's uniform, he wore the gray suit of an imperial commando. With his small eyes he searched the platform and when he spotted Wando and her brother, he hesitated. Haladin tried to pull the little girl away from the shuttle, but she stepped out onto the landing platform.

"Who are you, kid?" the man yelled to overscream the rain.

"Are you Bait Camero?"

"What's it to you? Go home, you've lost your way."

"We're here on behalf of Kanta Selogia and we are looking for Bait Camero."

The man, who was still standing half inside the shuttle, covered from the water unloading above his head, was still for a moment. Haladin called for his sister to get out of there, but she ignored him. Finally the imperial commando got his speech back.

"Prove it. How do I know, you were actually sent by who you claim to be?"

"We can't. But we have the money he owes you. You will have to trust us, or we will part ways without doing this trade."

"You are bold, kid. Show me the money."

"Show us the parts first." she fired back. She might be young, but she wasn't stupid. A smirk wandered across the man's face, then he vanished back in the ship.

"Are you mad, little one? He is an Imperial, have you missed that?" Haladin slowly crept out from the darkness. Ji-To covered his face with his hood.

"Don't worry, he is the contact we were looking for. As Kanta said, don't ask that kind of question and everybody is happy."

"I hope you know what you're doing, little one. He's coming back."

As Haladin announced, the man who went by the name of Bait Camero reappeared on the landing platform, pushing a heavy crate before him. When he reached Wando, the top cover opened with the press of a button located on the side of the crate. An obscure device was inside, that Wando was unable to name.

"A perfectly new Hyperdrive for Class Two fighters. Fully functional and untracked."

"How can we be sure it actually works?"

"You can't. You will have to trust me, or we will part ways without doing this trade." He smirked again, but this time it was a dirty, triumphant smirk. Haladin had no reply ready.

"We'll take it. Your money." Wando reached for a bag of credits hanging from her hip and tossed it over to the man. He plucked it out of the air, while his stare was locked onto Ji-To. The trooper tried to turn his head, to hide his face.

To close the crate, Bait Camero pressed another button, then he vanished back to his ship, and the boarding ramp shut with another load of steam. Only a few moments later, the shuttle took off and left the three friends behind on the landing platform.