Queen Ahsoka (Book 4, Yuuzhan Vong War)

Finding the Parts

In 25ABY:

Mike was on his way to the Star Forge. This time, he planned to make a little detour via Kuat. They needed spare parts. Parts for the VT-49's he could still get online, but spare parts for the old Sith ship were hard to come by. Kuat had the biggest ship yard in the galaxy and it had the biggest flea market for parts, scrap and junk in the galaxy as well. The flea market was in a 47 story sky scraper cleverly called Sky Scrap.

It was like being in heaven, all those parts, broken droids and devices. Relatively new things, but also very, very old stuff. He had spent two days in the market already and had just reached the 27th floor. He had found all the currently needed spare parts for the Sith ship, but he also wanted to get a spare propulsion. If he just had a propulsion which he could cannibalize, he would be able to get the ship going quickly, next time the propulsions would fail. Strolling around the 27th floor, he spotted an orange jetpack ditched in a crate. The color of the jetpack was pretty similar to Ahsoka's skin color, so he believed it might be a nice present. He asked the tender: "Is that jetpack working?"

The tender followed his glance and responded: "I haven't tested any of these parts in that crate."

Mike: "How much?"

The tender: "I would like to sell the whole crate, I need space. Additionally, I do have more crates with droid parts in the same color. I believe they all belong together."

Mike was interested: "Where are they?"

The tender: "I have them in my ship we can go down to the parking deck then you can look at them."

Mike: "Fine, let's go!"

The tender yelled at one of his buddies across the aisle to watch his stand and then led the way. It was as the tender had said, in his ship he had three more crates with droid parts. He had never seen such a droid before. The parts were in bad condition, but they were all in Ahsoka's color.

Mike was not sure if he should get all four crates: "So how much do you want for all of them?"

The tender: "Because of you, I make you a special price --- 2000 credits."

Mike: "Eh, look at the stuff, it's old and in very bad condition. That droid had gotten ripped apart. Maybe it had gotten destroyed in an arena fight. The next question is, if all parts are there? 2000 credits --- no way."

The tender: "Then what is your price?"

Mike believed, that 200 credits was already over payed, on the other hand he wanted to get them. These parts had made him curious: "300 is already way to much."

The tender: "You hurt my feelings. After all the pain I had gotten through to obtain these parts for you."

Mike: "As if you were obtaining them for me?"

The tender: "I was! The force told me you would come around and take the parts. The force told me you would need them."

Mike: "Yeah, as if. Do you have a propulsion for a Drokkar F30?"

The tender: "That is a very old ship. Parts are hard to get by, but let me make a phone call."

The tender dough up his com link and made a call in a language, Mike did not understand. After the call he informed him: "As I reckoned, I know, where to get one. Let's take my ship, I show you the propulsion. The tender steered his ship out of the parking deck and flew for about 15min. Finally, he entered a big hall, filled to the roof with cannibalized spare parts. They were in 10m high bay storages, neatly sorted by ship type and make. At their arrival, he already saw the propulsion through the windshield of the ship. It had been put on an air trolley, prepared for him to inspect it. He had quickly examined the propulsion and surprisingly, it did not look so bad, dusty and dirty off course, but not dented and maltreated.

The tender: "It's a nice piece isn't it? Still in good condition."

Mike: "Good condition is something else for me, let's say it's not too bad."

The tender: "Well but you just brush the dust of and it's ready to be inserted into your ship."

Mike: "I would be surprised, really surprised."

The tender: "So what do you say? What is your offer for that nice drive?"

Mike was not sure, what he should say. Refurbished propulsions were in the range of 5 grands, used in good condition around 3 grands and non-working around 1-2 grands. He thought, he might start of low: "1 thousand."

The tender: "Do you want to insult me? Look the drive does not even have one single dent and I'm almost certain, it's working. You know the value of a working drive my friend, do you?"

Mike: "That is where we disagree. Like I said, I would be really surprised if it's working."

The tender: "Well, my friend, you have to make a better offer."

Mike: "OK, one and a half thousand."

The tender: "Oh my friend, please, I have to live and I have to feed a family. My wife is fertile. She gave me many little birds to feed."

Mike smirked: "Well as long as they are all yours!"

"Please my friend, of course they are all mine. Do you know how hard my life is? I'm selling spare parts from early morning to late evening. When I come home, I have to sit down with my kids and prepare them for school for the next day. Then when the kids are finally in bed, my wife wants to talk to me. For at least an hour she is telling me what important things she did during the cause of the day. Cleaning, cooking, ironing, shopping you know. Then, when out of boredom I can hardly keep awake anymore, she requests my services."

Mike: "Your services?"

"Yes, you know, these things bored house wives request from their men, late at night in the sleeping room."

Mike: "Are you suggesting, you need help in regards?"

"Eh, no. Everything is still working. No, you really have to give me more money for that drive!"

Mike joked: "But what does money help you with, when your wife demands your attention?"

The tender put his arm around Mike's shoulder: "My friend, a busy man needs a little girl friend for comfort and they want money. Please give me 3 thousand for the drive and I give you the crates on top for free. Just because you are my friend and you understand my peril."

Mike jocked: "Show me a picture of your girlfriend!"

The tender pulled his com link out and showed Mike the pic: "Is she not lovely?"

Mike: "Yes, and expensive. Looks like she needs more than one supporter."

The tender: "Eh, what do you think about my girlfriend? She is not that type. Anyways, so you fully understand my disastrous financial situation? Take my hand, 3 thousand."

Mike "Two and a half!"

The tender: "OK, but just because you are my friend and understand me. Can you do me a favor please?"

Mike: "What?"

"Please don't tell anybody that I gave you that stuff so cheaply. The other tenders in the Sky Scrap would be mad at me."

Mike crossed his fingers: "Of course, big secret, pinky secret."

Half an hour later, Mike had all the stuff in his space craft. In the aftermath, he thought, that he should have just paid 2 thousand, but so what, he was happy to have a propulsion in not too bad a shape. The crates were another issue. He had to hide them from Ahsoka, otherwise she would make a scene, because of him bringing more scrap. He had to hide them well.