Star Wars - Kenobi

them here,” Annileen called back, smiling.
    A leather-skinned Ithorian danced past on spindly legs. Spying Annileen, the long-necked creature grabbed her by the shoulders and spun with her into the festive crowd. Whirling, Annileen could see Jabe reaching for his blaster—and then Ben placing his hand on the boy’s wrist. Kallie was in the dance, now, too—as was, Annileen saw, just about every poor pedestrian who had wandered past.
    The twirling slowed long enough for her to see a panicked Ben in the arms of a tall female Ithorian bedecked in garlands. The mother of the bride? Annileen didn’t know. As they both spun, she could only tell that Ben definitely didn’t want to dance, and that he just as definitely had no choice, as the wave of partygoers surged again.
    Finally, the alien released her, centrifugal force whipping her away to the side of the street. She braced herself against a stone column, laughing between gasps for breath. A delighted Kallie broke free next—followed by Ben. His hood down and hair mussed, he looked like a man who’d just finished a podrace.
    Reclaiming her hat, Annileen scanned the crowd for Jabe. She found him against the nearest building, leaning standoffishly and clearly prepared to pull his blaster on anyone who came near. “I thought you wanted to get out of the store to have fun,” she said.
    “Not my idea of fun,” her son said. His flustered look vanished a second later, however, as a procession of scantily clad Twi’lek women emerged from the building behind him, carrying trays of multicolored drinks.
    Well, we’ve found your idea of fun, Annileen thought. Another group of servers followed. Twi’lek males, their attire even more unsuited to the dangerous suns, brought silver platters with exotic foodstuffs for anyone and everyone.
    “This party is getting better all the time,” Kallie said, smiling. “Can we stay here?”
    Annileen looked over at Ben. He looked gray. She couldn’t imagine he wanted to stay in the festival a second longer. Looking at the building the servers had emerged from, though, she realized where she was. Serendipity, she thought, amused.
    Gesturing for the beleaguered Ben to wait for a moment, she took her children aside. “You kids can have lunch down here. One hour,” she said.
    “Two!” Kallie said.
    “Three!” Jabe added, gawking at the women.
    “An hour and a half,” Annileen said. She jabbed her finger against Jabe’s sternum. “You’re on alert. We’re not going to have another Mos Espa. If you leave Kallie’s sight for an instant—or get near anything stronger than blue milk—she’s going to call me. I’ll be here in a flash—and you’ll be in a world of hurt.” She looked around at the crazed partiers. “And don’t either of you get engaged to—well, anyone!”
    Kallie laughed. Rolling his eyes, her brother nodded. “Where will you be?” he asked.
    Annileen looked back at Ben, standing out of earshot. “I have some questions that need answers,” she said. “You kids have fun.”
    Hat in hand, Orrin walked down the steps from the branch office of the Aargau Investment Trust. There wasn’t any point in being dejected, as the official had said nothing he hadn’t heard once a month for three years. Bankers annoyed Orrin more than lawyers did. What to make of people who had so much money they were willing to drop piles of it on others across the galaxy, just because they had an idea?
    Even a good idea, Orrin thought. But at least the banker had confirmed what he’d wanted to know. He removed the holocam from his satchel and tossed it into the open backseat of the USV-5.
    Mullen was there, snoring. Orrin looked around. He didn’t know where Veeka had flitted. “Wake up,” he said, slapping his sleeping son with his hat.
    By reflex, Mullen reached for his shoulder holster—before recognizing his father. “Well?”
    “It’s going according to plan. Plan One, anyway.” Orrin scanned the buildings across from the bank until he found what he was looking for. Locating the cantina, he found Veeka, too—emerging with three scruffy-looking human spacers, all of whom looked quite unable to fly despite the noon hour. Seeing her father, she made her good-byes.
    “She sure makes friends fast,” Orrin said, resigned.
    “That’s because she always buys,” Mullen said, slipping into the front seat.
    Hands on his hips, Orrin glared at Veeka as she approached. “Do you ever listen?”
    “I’m fine,”