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| - Over the next two weeks Abeo and Pantene got to know each other a little better and on the fifteenth day Pantene finally asked Abeo a question. “How would you like a job as a cargo runner for my boss hmm?” “Well, I don’t know, I mean how much does it pay?” Abeo replied “Well, if you’ve got the skills you been boasting over the last two weeks than this will be as easy as catching a Gundark!” “Do you think your boss will give me living quarters?” “My boss, give you living quarters, you must be kidding, and he’ll be giving a ship of your own to live in!” “Oh really?” Abeo replied sarcastically. “Usually it’s a Correllian freighter, but for you, he might give you something else, if you past the test.” “Test? Wha.. What test?” Abeo asked as in a state of Shock. “Oh just a little puzzle, to test you abilities under pressure, that’s all.” Abeo looked as if he would decline at that second, and was about to, were it not for Pantene. “Come on, its easy, just a little puzzle, and no ones ever failed, even a Clak’Dor Bat could get through, if it could walk.” “Hmm, yes, if it could walk.” Abeo replied. “Come on, you know you want to!” “Oh, Oh okay!.” Abeo grunted. One the next day the two left on Pantene’s new vessel, which he had won in an archaniac lizard game the day before, of course he had renamed it the Arterious, which was suiting for him. The two loaded up the supplies a couple of hours before take off and they also loaded up a couple of crates of Sumpian spices. In the cockpit the two were beginning to talk. “Listen, if you want to rest you may as it’s going to be at least twenty-six hours before we get there,” Pantene said out of the blue. “About 27 parsecs.” Abeo replied “Don’t kid me, I bet 20 credits it’s at least 35 parsecs, I’ll even check my navigational computer.” Pantene replied. Pantene did check his computer and a couple of seconds later he turned it off. “Well,” Abeo asked, “How long?” “27 parsecs!” Pantene replied in a grunted voice as he handed Abeo the money, “Don’t worry it’s only a bet after all, I’ll most probably be owing it back to you by the end of the year.” Abeo said sensing Pantene’s disappointment at losing the bet. “Now, if you don’t mind I’m going to have a rest, night.” “Night.” Pantene replied still in a grumpy manner. The next day Abeo awoke to find himself alone in the sleeping quarters, he looked out the circular window to see a densely packed Jungle. “Computer, Location?” Abeo shouted into the air. The Computer then replied; “Location, Omwat” “Computer, where is Pantene?” “Pantene is not onboard” “Yes but where is he?” “Pantene is not onboard” “Oh forget it” Abeo grumbled to himself “Please restate question” the Computer asked “Oh shut up!” Abeo shouted at the Computer “Please restate question” the Computer asked again “Computer mute audio” Abeo shouted. “Hmm, I know” Abeo walked to the other side of the room to a small button on the wall, he pressed down on it and began to speak. “Abeo to Pantene” he said, “Abeo to Pantene, come in Pantene.” “Pantene here, I’m outside in the landing pad control booth, I’ll be coming back in a second, stay there and get suited.” 5 minutes later Pantene came walking in through the ramp door in a strange manner, he was quite happy and was no longer upset about losing the bet to Abeo. “Come hurry up Abeo! We’ve got to be there, were already late.” Pantene cried out as Abeo was walking out of the door to the cockpit It took 15 minutes to get to a small platform where they waited for a Skiff to pick them up. Upon being picked up the what started talking about what not to do in front of the Boss, when they arrived it was spectacular, the main door was made of Juns, a tree from Endor which reached on average to the age of 2500, but some even reached the age of 5500 years, the main gate was made of one tree and they spanned it to five stories high and three wide. The hallway leading up to the door was paved in one giant plate of golden marble spanning the same width of the door and almost double its height. Every few paces a small cave made to the height and width of a man of about 45 was dug in for guards to stand watch and each guard was armed with a Mark VII Blaster and an Imperial side Blaster, about the size of a Colt 45. Pistol. There were about 30 of these along the passage. When they finally reached the doors two guards stepped out from the alcoves and into their way. “Onto de bakne!” the first guard stated “State your purpose!” the second guard then translated “Were are here to see the Boss, my name is Pantene.” Pantene then replied in an annoyed voice “Benla de nakne to na!” And upon saying this 30 guards came out of their alcoves from all along the passage and walked up to the door in single file until the formed a long line the width of the passage way behind Pantene and Abeo. The two front guards walked back into their alcoves leaving Pantene and Abeo standing there with 30 guards behind them. Then with a sudden burst of air the two large gates slowly began to creek open. “Thank god, I thought it was over for a second.” Abeo said to Pantene “I agree, this must all be new since I last left.” “When did you last come here then?” “5 years ago.” When the doors formed a suitable open for them to pass through, Pantene and Abeo both walked in side-by-side alert for anything. “HALT!” cried a strange looking man from the top of the Grand staircase ahead of them. “Guards,” he cried, “Check them for weapons” Upon this command two more guards, less heavily armed came up to them from behind the staircase, as they approached a large clash could be heard from the giant Juns door behind them. “Raise your arms!” the two guards shouted simultaneously, Pantene and Abeo raised both their arms. They were then pressure checked by the guards; a minute later the guards had finished finding nothing. “Nothing on them, SIR!” the two guards shouted, again, simultaneously to the man up the stairs. “Leave us, leave us now!.” the strange man shouted to the two guards who then headed back to there alcoves under the staircase “Follow me” he said in a calm voice, so Pantene and Abeo followed the man up the staircase, and through a second hallway, again lined with guard alcoves until they reached a pair of doors, which to were made of Juns. They entered the elevator until they reached the top floor. The doors opened into another small passage, this time aliened with not alcoves but statues of Gargoyles. They carried on walking until they reached another pair of door, these ones made of pure gold, with a strange pattern the same on each door. “Names?” the man asked. “Pantene.” replied Pantene, “Abeo.” Abeo replied with a small sigh. “Stay here until asked for.” the Man ordered. The man then walked through the Golden doors into a small airlock like room with a second pair of golden doors, the doors were then closed. “Not much for small-talk, are they?” Abeo sighed “They never are.” Pantene replied “COME!” a loud voice demanded and upon this order both of the golden doors opened, Abeo and Pantene slowly walked through. It was amazing, a grand carpet at least 1 metre squared lay across the floor, its detail to magnificence to explain in this tiny book. The walls were pure gold in plated Juns, and the room was completely symmetrically, but the peace was shattered by a loud voice. “Dontrak unla posni da bontaa koona, posna lenta jau simpar!” cried a large voice, but what Abeo saw was no man, it was, Kerath the Hutt. Next: The Tests
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