Tangled Threads of Tatooine: Escape from Tatooine

Kitster looked around the room filled with the people that helped lead the effort of fixing the pod up for the race, they filled the dinning room of what used to be the Skywalker home, but as they had planned on leaving as soon as they could they had packed up what they could beforehand they left the home as a gathering area to plan how to get off the planet as the Jedi and their ship had to get moving as fast as possible. On the table was the pile of various currencies won from the winnings and bets on the race, it was more money then the slaves had seen in their lives and was the key to their freedom. Various older members of the group that had not been slaves to start with were already out and about buying up the contracts of the others, a complex plan of buyers and newly freed slaves buying even more till the ones that helped with the plan and their families were free and then they could start on freeing their friends. Kitster had reminded the older members that were acting as the organizers of the group of the group of slave that his friends and him helped to get out of the grasp of Gardulla, who were still hiding out waiting for transport off the planet. The organizer realized if a group of kids could pull that off that there might be others that made similar efforts and asked if anyone else had done something similar and if there were any other groups waiting to get off the desert planet. To everyone's surprise over half the hands in the room were raised, evidently the rush of people visiting and the frenetic confusion around the Boonta eve celebrations meant that there were a plethora of targets of opportunity to bust slaves out of servitude.

After a while Kitster was sent off on an assignment that took him near a docking bay with a door that was missing entirely, the frame looking like it was blasted in but without any scorch marks that would indicate an explosive charge used. Curious Kitster looked in and saw an entire group of Gammorians laid out on the ground, a finer dressed one groaning and moving slightly. Kitster knew that it was a bad idea, but his curiosity got the better of him and so he approached and asked if they were okay. The bruised Gammorian managed to open an eye and look at the young recently ex-slave, Aphab recognized the figure as one of the ones he ran into that delayed him, he smiled at the thought that it still must be his lucky day as he was still alive... even though his bruises twinged a bit at the movement.

"Hey kid, glad someone showed up... help me up, got to contact my ship so we can go after that freak with that red energy sword." The captain wheezed out.

Kitster gasped in recognition as that description that matched that of the person that attacked the Jedi just before they left. The Gammorian focused his eye on the kid at the sound.

"You heard o the freak?" The Gammorian asked, sensing a lead for chasing after the sinister figure that humiliated him. The kid nodded at the question and the Captain grunted as he tried to get up and muttered that he had a score to settle with the sword wielder, and as soon as he off loaded his cargo and loaded up that winning pod racer he would be chasing him down.

"You bought Anikin's pod?" Kitster blurted out the question as he helped the Gammorian up.

"Heh, knew that thing was made of solid luck, I owe you one kid. Anything I can do to help, just ask." The Captain nodded in thanks to the kid and began planning on what he would do to the one that humiliated him.

"Well... you said you had a ship right... could you help us get off planet?" Kitster asked tentatively as a plan started to form in his mind.

"Us? how many you talking about, how did you get the money to get free?" The Gammorian asked curiously, realizing that the kid was obviously a recent ex-slave.

"We bet on Anikin in the pod race..." Kitster blurted out before realizing he should keep his mouth shut.

"Hah, solid luck indeed, okay I do owe you one, bring your friends along to get off this dustball." The Captain was a Gammorian of his word, he owed the kid a solid, and moving some ex-slaves off planet was an easy way to pay that off, doubly so as he did not have any cargo to pick up from the desert planet, and it rankled his sensibilities to ship out with an empty hold.

The Gammorian Captain contacted his ship and gestured to the kid to go on and get going while he planned out what he was going to do. The kid ran off to do whatever he was off to do, and the Captain started to get his crew up and about and get plans in motion, vengeance shining in his eyes. "When I find that freak that humiliated me, I will make him rue this day."

Kitster finished his task and ran back to the Skywalker home with his important news. When he explained what happened the organizers what happened they looked up the Captain and his ship, and found that the ship he had in orbit was what they were looking for and more, as the ship had not only the cargo space to fit everyone they could get and more, but it was registered to have oversized environmental system that would be able to keep them all breathing on the trip. The quick and efficient work done by the expanding network as more and more slaves got freed meant that the pile of currency quickly disappeared as people and supplies were bought and traded for. The network decided that a few would stay and help out the slaves still on the planet, using what things the slaves had that were not able to be traded quickly or moved easily. The ones staying were given all the currency except the near useless on the planet republic credits. Goodbyes were said and plans were put into motion as the network prepared to move out, with Kitster sent first to contact the Captain, as having a Captain that owed them free passage meant they could free a far greater amount of slaves then they had originally planned for.

Captain Aphad gave a low whistle as he heard the numbers of the ex-slaves wanting passage off the desert world. If they were all paying customers the amount of profit would be a fortune, but he did owe the kid, and he was not doing anything with the cargo space anyways, though he did say that they would be expected to help out with maintenance and cleaning of the ship, which they agreed to, as at the price of some work for passage was a deal for the ex-slaves. Aphab felt that as he was going to be chasing the red sword wielding figure anyways, he might as well get a free maintenance and detailing work over out of it. The cargo lifters shuttled back and forth from the ship to the planet and back, unloading cargo from the ship, and covertly sending ex-slaves and their families up. The entire operation took hours and had a few close calls, but went off without a hitch, the last shuttle up holding the pod racer that had made all this possible, all that was left was to plot a course and take off to hyperspace.

Certified Pilot Flynn Landers was a middle aged Correlian, his wild heydays behind him, glad to have a steady paycheck of flying around the group of Gammorians lead by their eccentric albino Captain. The sudden change of plans to go after someone that beat up the Captain was the most excitement that had happened in years, as usually they had just been working their way up in ship size and type doing cargo runs that needed extra muscle to guard. As soon as the first cargo lifter had dropped off the first load of ex-slaves Flynn felt the old excitement start to sing though his veins again, sure flying cargo though fairly unsafe space was not exactly boring, but being known for having a crew full of Gammorians willing to protect that cargo meant that few even thought of trying to jack whatever ship they were flying after the first time a group of space pirates tried and were promptly dealt with. Being in Hutt space and busting a group of ex-slaves out right under their noses was a different kettle of fish entirely, one that was a good cause to boot. Flynn gave a quick tour to each batch of slaves as they arrived, getting the fit looking ones to help shift cargo faster so they could get out of the system before anything went wrong. Flynn breathed a sigh of relief as the last lander docked carrying the last load and Captain Aphab, say what you will about the Captain, but he did good by his crew and was willing to be the first one down and the last one out. Flynn contacted ground control for the latest updates for the hyperspace lanes and clearance, and had to control his reaction when told to hold for a priority ship, as he recognized the ship coming up from the surface as one of the vessels used as the personal transports of very important Hutts. Flynn held his breath as the ship passed them without noticed and went to hyper, a sigh of relief as ground control then cleared them for transit and then they were off. Flynn idly curious as to where the Hutt went off to was surprised as their hyper vector matched up exactly with the cargo ships, looked like they were headed to the same place, things just might get interesting reguardless... he would have to warn the Captain about this development. With that thought Flynn activated the internal comm system and gave a countdown as he activated the ships mighty engines before they blasted off into hyperspace.