Star Wars - Kenobi

This oasis is for good people. We don’t want you around!” He cast a sideways glance to the dining area, where he saw the wide-eyed customers listening intently. He pointed to the exit. “Now go, and take your muscle with you!”
    Boopa beckoned to his fat companions. “Let’s go, boys. This place stinks.” He looked around, his snout crumpling. “You’ve had Tuskens here!”
    The trio filed out of the building. Orrin followed and stood in the doorway, yelling out after them. “And keep that blasted music off as you go!”
    Annileen stepped to the window, watching in amazement. Boopa was back in his ludicrous vehicle, pulling away—quietly. She looked back to Orrin. “What was that all about?”
    Orrin turned back to face the occupants of the store. “It’s nothing,” he said, straightening. “Some gangsters hoping to shake down honest folk for protection money. An old story.” He pointed a thumb out the window. “But it turns out that the Settlers’ Call has multiple uses. Once they heard how fast we’d gotten an army here to fight the Tuskens, they lost interest.”
    The statement was delivered as modestly as any she could recall coming from Orrin’s mouth—and it sent a wave of excitement through his audience. Several customers approached, eager to talk to him about joining the Call Fund. Annileen looked at Ben. The man seemed as confused by the experience as she was.
    Annileen turned to sweep the remains of the Gamorreans’ dining, but Orrin stepped free from the crowd and tugged at her sleeve. “Oh, Annie. We need to talk— about your landspeeder. ”
    Annileen did a double take. It wasn’t the subject she’d expected was on his mind now, not with new business at hand.
    “There’s a delay,” Orrin said, sounding earnest. “Gloamer said so. But you don’t have to worry,” he said. Releasing her sleeve, he took her hand. “I’m going to get something sorted out. In the meantime, you can use the USV-5.”
    “ Your landspeeder?” The offer startled Annileen. Orrin’s luxury vehicle was the pride of his existence. She suspected the only reason he let his son behind the controls was to make it look as if Orrin rated a driver.
    “I don’t mind,” Orrin said, bringing his other hand atop hers. He clasped them tightly and looked directly at her. “After all, you’re almost family. ”
    Annileen’s eyes widened. At the mention of her landspeeder repair, she had expected Orrin’s usual excuse-with-a-smile routine. But this was different. He looked serious. A meaningful expression for others, but Orrin looked that way so infrequently she had no index to measure his sincerity against.
    “Family,” he said again, loudly enough so those around could hear.
    Annileen was aware of eyes watching from around the room. Part of her wanted to ask where this was coming from. Instead, she could only stammer. “T-thanks.”
    She withdrew her hand and stepped back. Orrin turned his head and saw Ben, lingering in the next aisle. “Oh. Kenobi,” he said, drily. “Were you ready to talk business about the Fund?”
    Ben shrugged. “I’m sorry. I may have been wasting your time—”
    Orrin looked back, coolly. “No law against it.” He looked over at the mess on the floor. “You know, Ben, stuff keeps happening when you’re here. I hate that we keep inconveniencing you.”
    “Yes, I should be about my business,” Ben said mildly. He bowed and turned away.
    Orrin walked back toward his office, the exultant customers following. Annileen goggled. Did Orrin just tell one of my customers to leave?
    Suddenly indignant, she stomped after Orrin, intending to ask exactly that. If it had been a dismissal, it was the lightest, politest she’d ever heard—but no one but she had the right to tell anyone in her store what to do. Just as she reached the back of the crowd, however, something told her to look back.
    Ben was gone.
    A breathless Kallie met her just outside the door to the livery. “Did Ben leave?” she asked, anxiously. “Rooh’s gone!”
    “Yep.” Sighing, Annileen looked back into the store. “And he never got the water keg we owe him.”
    “Bizarre. Where do you think he’s from, Mom?”
    “I don’t know. But wherever it is, they sure don’t understand the concept of shopping.”
    Meditation
    Enough.
    Just three visits—and chaos.
    I shouldn’t have gone. I’m endangering the mission.
    I won’t go back there again.
    And needless to say, I’ll be doing these chats