CHAPTER SIX
Sharr quietly hummed a tune to himself as he patiently waited in line at the Galactic Alliance Detention Center's reception office. With him were two security officers: one a male Duros, the other a female Togruta. And in his hands were two bags of yot beans.
At least, that's what he told anyone who asked.
Upon reaching the receptionist's desk, run by a bored-looking male Twi'lek, the Duros said, "This man is requesting to deliver these beans to Garik Loran."
The receptionist looked skeptically at Sharr before saying, "I'll have the guards take them to him."
"Best not do that," Sharr said with a sheepish smiled. "These are very touchy beans; shake them or poke them too much and they explode. I've had experience handling yot beans, so best leave it to me to carry them."
The Twi'lek arched a hairless eyebrow before looking up at the Duros. "Is he telling the truth?"
The officer nodded curtly.
The receptionist's lekku (or head-tails) quivered slightly. "All right. He's on Detention Block 1236, cell 327."
The two officers led Sharr away from the desk and into an empty turbolift. As it ascended up through the building, the Togruta officer looked at the beans in Sharr's grocery bags.
"Are you sure those are yot beans?" she asked. "They look more like uly beans, found on Agamar. Are you sure you got those on Dantooine?"
Sharr did his best to keep his cool. "Yeah, I got them from an old merchant. He said they were yot beans...."
"He must have been mistaken," the Togruta murmured. "Did he also tell you they were explosive?"
"No, I saw it for myself. Poor guy's face was covered in brown."
"So you didn't recognize them as uly beans," the Duros said, "yet you said you had experience in handling them. Wouldn't have know they were called uly beans and not yot beans?"
Sharr sighed exasperatedly. "Yot beans, uly beans, bula beans. A bean's a bean. They all make you gassy anyway."
The Duros chuckled. "Good point."
The turbolift came to a stop and the three of them stepped into the detention block, watched over by a Kel Dor warden. As they walked down the corridor, Sharr could hear loud cries of outrage but could not see the prisoners which the voices belonged to, hidden behind closed blast doors.
Sharr suppressed a shudder. He had read stories about Imperial prisons and this was not unlike the descriptions he had heard of them. True, this building was probably repurposed from a building established during the Empire's reign... but after over thirty years, he would think the Alliance would have remodeled by now.
They came to a stop before a cell and the Duros opened it. Sitting comfortably against the wall was a bald man with a goatee, a scar running from his forehead across his nose. Face Loran looked up at his visitors and looked confused at first before flashing a grim smile at Sharr.
"Hello, Sharr," the former actor and general said. "What brings you here?"
Sharr grinned. "Special delivery." He began to reach into one of the bags before stopping. He then turned to look at the two officers.
"As a reward for your patience with me, I would like to offer you a treat." He pulled out of the bag two violet-colored beans. "W'den beans. A rare legume grown on Kattada."
The Togruta looked skeptical while the Duros eagerly accepted the gift.
"Thank you, kind sir," the latter said as he happily popped the bean into his mouth. After chewing it, his red eyes suddenly widened. "By the Falls of Trehalt... it's the most wonderful thing I've ever tasted."
Her curiosity piqued, the Togruta ate her bean as well and also began murmuring words of awe. With the two guards left frozen and mesmerized, Sharr turned back to Face with a wide grin.
"Shall we make our getaway?"
Face chuckled as he got up. "Sure, but what about the warden?"
Sharr pulled out what the beans had concealed: a gas bomb. He casually tossed it to the side. "He won't be seeing us."
"Wrong." The grenade ended up in a wrinkled orange hand as the Kel Dor warden came into view. "I see you."
Sharr's face blanched. "Oops," he murmured. "I probably should have offered you a bean, too."
"I wouldn't have been able to eat it anyway," the Kel Dor said dryly, rubbing the black antiox mask which concealed his mouth. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay here while-"
He was cut off by a loud explosion, which shook the room. At the end of the corridor, emerging from the rubble that had once been a cell door, was a male Quarren clad in black garments. Lightning crackled from his webbed hands.
"Nothing can restrain a Sith!" the Quarren shrieked, his eyes flaring with rage. "Prepare to face my wrath!"
Alarmed, the Kel Dor fished out his comlink. "This is Sergeant Saltai Deen! We have a breakout on Detention Block 1236, cell 348!"
The Quarren Sith unleashed a barrage of lightning but the warden deflected it with a riot shield he had slung over his back. While it protected him, Sharr, and Face from the attack, the shield was left charred and useless.
"Head for the turbolift!" Saltai cried, rushing back down the corridor to get to the elevator ahead of Sharr and Face.
As the two men followed the Kel Dor, Face said to Sharr, "We need to find Bhindi and the others before we can get out of here."
"Bhindi?" Sharr raised an eyebrow at the mention of his old comrade. "What others?"
"The other Wraiths."
His mouth fell open. "Other Wraiths? I thought we were the only ones."
Face smirked. "Guess not."
Sharr shook his head in wonder. The former actor never failed to surprise him.
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