Je'daii Deku 2: The Clone Wars

Flight From Coruscant

The next day, everyone was ready to settle up. Eve rubbed her head. "Ugh... that Corellian whiskey was too much. Should've went with just the Alderaan wine."

"Have some water. That always takes the edge off." Lok said, handing her a glass.

Downing it, Eve stated, "Thanks".

"No problem."

"So, what are you going to do next?" Hizoshi asked, her question aimed at the Twi'lek. "Just wait for another jackpot to carry you from the gangsters again?"

"Well..." She sighed, "I don't know. There's not much I can do, to be honest."

"You could come with us." Ahsoka replied.

Evedozii agreed, stating while shrugging, "It's not like they'll miss you. They'll find new people to extort. C'mon. I'd love to have your help fixing my ship after whatever those pirates did to her."

The crimson alien thought for a moment, before sighing, "It's just not worth it yet. I'd get a major price on my head."

Ahsoka, confused, asked outright, "If the Black Sun is such a problem... why haven't the police notified the Jedi?"

Lok laughed at her comment, "Are you serious?" She then saw the sincerity in her voice, "You are. Look, the Jedi are far too involved in their little war to care. Even before that, they didn't. End of story. It's best to keep them as far away as possible."

Eve raised her hands in resignation, "Look, I've had encounters with all kinds of Jedi. But I gotta say, the ones here seem to be a lot... colder than most."

Ahsoka seemed to be at a loss for words, especially when Lok narrowed her eyes. "Besides, I know it's hard for a former jedi to understand." It was clear the Jedi were a sore spot. Not wanting to continue this, Eve interrupted, "Hey, hey! We don't need arguments first thing in the morning. It's time to settle up, right?"

The twi'lek smiled at that. "Yeah. Right. Let's see..." The group followed her back into the garage as she did the mental calculations. "All the overhauled pieces, plus the reformatting of the whole ship from a fighter to a freighter... plus the new hyperdrive alone... the price is 25 Million credits. This was a massive cost investment for me. I need the money back."

Eve sighed, "Look, that's a little pricey. Can't take it down a little? Say, 23?"

"24.5. Lowest I can go Eve. And that's taking out the cost of your help."

Hizoshi couldn't believe it. That was how expensive things are. "Um... pardon my question, but... how much does a ship normally cost?"

Lok stated, "Normal ships are around 100 thousand to 2 mil. This was a custom job with a ton of repairs that don't normally happen. It would've been more economical to just buy a new one. But I take care in my work. And buy the best parts. This ship will be the fastest in the system."

"Well... I'll have to test that claim. Fine." Eve said. "Just let me check my accounts to make sure everything is in order first." She left the room for a terminal, while Hizoshi looked over the whole ship. It was a work of art, all things considered. Before she could scrutinize it any further, though, there was an... unpleasant annoyance.

"Lok... your payment is due." It was the rodian from last night. With more muscle. A lot more.

"Hey, the accounts are being squared away. I'll deliver it to you after the clients are gone, alright?" It was clear that this meeting was not arranged.

"Oh, I think your late payments deserve a little... interest. That ship for one..." He gave an appreciative glance. "Looks quite nice."

"That's the one being sold. I can't just take someone's credits and not give them a good product! That's theft! I can't get business like that!"