nycdaug Chapter 747 Mossley Tavern
Chapter 747 Mossley Tavern
Chapter 747 Mossley Tavern
Tatooine, Mos Eisley.
Mos'isley and Mos'ispa are the two largest cities on Tatooine. Mos'ispa, located in the northern hemisphere, is famous for its popular and notorious galactic illegal sporting event—the Flying Shuttle Race. Mos'isley, located in the southern hemisphere, is the planet's largest spaceport, a squalid and corrupt place considered a paradise by astronauts, thieves, smugglers, and rogues of all races. The city lacks a central landing zone; instead, 362 circular, pit-like hangars are evenly distributed throughout the city—the berth Fu Qinghai will be docking at.
Guided by the interstellar control tower, Fu Qinghai maneuvered his spaceship into Tatooine's atmosphere and descended swiftly and steadily toward the designated berth. At an altitude of about 600 meters, he spotted the so-called berth number 46.
A circle enclosed by an earthen wall, with a huge cross sign indicating anchorage painted on the depression in the center of the circle.
Three flat-headed robots stood around the open space, waving signs at the spaceship as if trying to guide it to land. Fu Qinghai glanced at them from the cockpit, ignored them, and continued to control the cargo ship to release its landing gear, which landed steadily in the center of the open space.
"Swoosh—Bang!"
The rear hatch opened and landed on the ground. Fu Qinghai and Xierli stepped down the landing ramp. A short, stout man wearing greasy mechanic overalls led three bouncy little robots to greet them, and said enthusiastically:
"Welcome to Tatooine, guests from afar!"
After saying that, he turned to the side of the cargo ship with a rather familiar air, rubbing his hands together and chuckling as he said:
"Ah, Corellia Engineering's YU-410, what a fine ship. But I see something wrong with its port hatch, uh, is it broken? I think I can..."
"Snapped!"
Fu Qinghai slapped a small bag of credits into the man's hand:
"Repair the hatch door on the left side of the cargo hold along with the hydraulic linkage. This is a deposit; any overpayment will be refunded, and any underpayment will be collected. Do not touch any other parts of the cargo hold, especially the right side. Understand?"
"understand."
The short, stout man accepted the deposit with a broad smile, gave a signal to his little robot subordinate, and happily went off to work.
Fu Qinghai and Siri walked out of the circular shipyard at berth 46 and onto the streets of Mos Eisley, where the distinctive Tatooine-style cityscape immediately came into view.
The cave-like domed houses, half-buried in the ground, have small doors and windows with awnings, ventilation openings covered with sand-filtering mesh, and thick, rough walls made of clay bricks or rammed earth, supplemented with scrap metal and spaceship wreckage. The surfaces retain the original texture of the materials, creating an earthy yellow desert hue, a rugged and pragmatic aesthetic born from resource scarcity.
Mos's City is already one of the most prosperous cities on the planet, but the houses are still generally low-rise, the building density is not high but the structure is compact, the streets are narrow and winding, and residences, workshops and black market shops are closely packed together without clear divisions. Rather than a city, it is more like a distribution center for people, goods and trade in the desert.
Tatooine, a haven for smugglers and fugitives.
"Where are we going now?"
Sylvie raised her hand to shield her forehead and asked, the dry, hot wind making her hair fly wildly.
"Let's find a clothing store and change our clothes first."
Fu Qinghai turned his head and looked around before speaking.
"You don't like the pants I made for you?"
Siri deliberately glanced at Fu Qinghai sideways.
"You know that's not what I meant."
Fu Qinghai smiled and said:
"Our current outfits are a bit conspicuous."
Fu Qinghai is even barefoot now because none of the poachers who were killed had shoes that fit him, and he didn't want to wear those smelly, dirty shoes, so he can only walk barefoot on the road now.
However, just as the two turned to the entrance of the main street, they were blocked by a makeshift checkpoint with a fence.
An Imperial Landship was parked behind a barbed wire barrier, with several armed assault troops talking nearby, and two scouts with goggles and sun visors on their helmets leaning lazily against two 74-Z flying motorcycles, waiting for orders.
The sleek, shiny white carbon fiber armor of the assault team members contrasted sharply with the desolate cityscape.
Clearly, the Empire's influence has gradually expanded into the outer regions, and it has even stationed troops on Tatooine.
Fu Qinghai understood what was going on when he saw this.
At this moment, a member of the assault team also noticed Fu Qinghai and Xierli standing in the middle of the road. He walked over with his gun, stood in front of Fu Qinghai, and looked him up and down.
"Even if the two suns on Tatooine are so scorching, you don't need to dress so lightly, do you, manly man?"
The assault team member looked up at Fu Qinghai and said.
His voice sounded a bit rough and distorted after being filtered through the helmet. Fu Qinghai couldn't tell if he was joking or serious. He thought to himself: Does the Empire really have such a wide reach that it even cares what clothes you wear on the street?
"Uh, hehe..."
Fu Qinghai scratched his head, wondering how to respond.
"Chaincode".
The assault team member raised the equipment in his hand and said.
"what?"
Fu Qinghai didn't react immediately.
Show me your chain code.
The assault team member said calmly and indifferently.
Fu Qinghai turned to look at Sylli, who shrugged and spread his hands, indicating that he didn't have a chain code either.
Fu Qinghai turned around, and the assault team members in front of him were still holding up their scanning devices, waiting for him to show the chain code.
Fu Qinghai could only lean closer and quietly slip a small stack of credits into the hands of the assault team member, whispering:
"It's hot outside, shall I offer you a drink, sir?"
The assault team member squeezed the thickness of the stack of credits, glanced to the left and right, and finally put down the scanning device, waving his hand in a gesture of respect:
"Let's go."
Fu Qinghai and Xierli were then able to enter the city.
What is chaincode?
Fu Qinghai asked as he walked.
"It seems to be a kind of identity verification tool used by the empire."
"I think for a moment and then I say," Sirri said.
"You didn't?"
Fu Qinghai surveyed his surroundings and asked.
"I am a Dathomir witch."
Sylvie turned to look at him with annoyance:
Do you think I could?
"Besides, this is the outer ring area of the Hutt Space. Most people here don't have chain codes, so checking the chain codes is pointless. He's just deliberately making things difficult for you and extorting money from you."
"Siri said in a low voice with a sullen face."
"I know."
Fu Qinghai nodded calmly.
"I don't feel bad about spending my money, huh?"
"Siri said with a smirk."
"We are actually very lucky."
Fu Qinghai looked ahead and said calmly:
"Fortunately, these Imperial soldiers are not very knowledgeable and did not recognize you by the tattoos on your face. If they knew that you were the legendary Night Sisters, someone Emperor Palpatine was wary of, we might both be detained, and things would get a bit complicated then."
These ordinary Imperial soldiers were very likely to have never heard of the Battle of Dathomir or knew its secrets, but Palpatine himself explicitly ordered the Imperial Security Service and the Imperial Intelligence Service to closely monitor Dathomir because he knew that he was the mastermind behind the destruction of Dathomir.
Upon hearing this, Sylvie felt a chill run down her spine.
Indeed, if they knew that I was a member of the Night Sisters, and what kind of organization the Night Sisters were, it probably wouldn't be as simple as using the excuse of checking the chaincode to extort money.
"You don't have to worry too much."
Fu Qinghai smiled and squeezed Xierli's hand:
“I was just saying things might get a little complicated, but that’s all. As it stands, there’s nothing in the entire city of Mossley that can pose a threat to me. Even if I wiped out all the Imperial soldiers in the city, it would be a piece of cake. There’s no need for that for now.”
Fu Qinghai's confident and composed smile touched Sylvie, allowing her to cast aside her worries and distractions.
The two went into a clothing store on the street and spent over ten credits to change their outfits. Fu Qinghai put on a simple, loose-fitting plain linen shirt, brown canvas trousers, and a pair of high-top riding boots. Siri, on the other hand, completely concealed himself with a long robe and cloak, and his head was wrapped in a white silk turban, revealing only his eyes.
After leaving the shop, the two walked along the main street deeper into the city, where all sorts of strange and unusual alien races walked the streets. This was the case in the outer ring area; the number of alien races generally exceeded that of humans. The means of transportation they used were equally diverse, with animals like dragon camels, yupi, and wetback lizards being as common as landships, airships, and the spaceships that came and went.
"Excuse me, where is the tavern?"
Fu Qinghai grabbed a Rodhia man and asked.
The Rodhia turned to look at him, gesturing with his hands and making a series of sounds that Fu Qinghai couldn't understand.
"what did he say?"
Fu Qinghai looked at Xierli blankly; this was the third time he had encountered an unfamiliar language he couldn't understand.
"Hutterese".
Syllis explained.
The witch then spoke a few words to the Rodians in this somewhat fierce-sounding foreign language.
The Rodian pointed behind him, rattled off a few words of explanation, and then left on his own.
“He said, ‘Go straight along this Entrepreneurship Avenue, turn the corner after you see that huge spaceship wreck, and you’ll find Charmont’s Tavern. It’s the most famous tavern in Mos Eisley City, and you can get everything you want there.’”
Siri turned to Fu Qinghai and translated.
"You speak Hutt?"
Fu Qinghai looked at her with some surprise.
"I can speak a little, but I'm not an expert."
Siri said calmly:
“In the outer ring area, Hutt is a more common language than the basic language, and it is difficult to communicate with others if you cannot speak Hutt.”
Fu Qinghai could detect a hint of smugness in her tone. The witch seemed to be showing off: "Your strength is indeed very strong, but when it comes to experience in traversing the galaxy, you are still a bit green."
Fu Qinghai shook his head helplessly.
He couldn't understand the Pessia dialect of Dassomir spoken by Siri and Old Daka, nor the grumbling and roaring of the Wookiees, and he still couldn't understand the Hutt language most prevalent in the outer ring. The Reincarnation World only loaded the reincarnators with a basic language proficiency, which was far from enough to meet their communication needs. Fu Qinghai just wanted to ask, why is it so difficult to popularize the basic language of the Milky Way?
Following the directions given by the Rhodians, the two found the wreckage of the spaceship—it was stuck upside down in the ground, its stern pointing towards the sky, and the words "Queen Mother" were engraved on its hull.
This is said to be one of the many colony ships that crashed on Tatooine by early colonists. Because the city of Mos Eisley has few tall buildings and a poorly planned, winding road network, the wreckage of this ship became a conventional landmark used to indicate directions.
The two walked through a dusty street and saw the tavern, which was not small in size.
Mos Eisley Tavern.
A robotic detector stands at the entrance of the tavern, next to a sign that reads in multiple languages:
"Robots are not allowed."
Fu Qinghai and Xierli exchanged a glance and stepped onto the low wooden steps leading to the tavern.
……
"laugh."
The tavern cabin door slid open.
Upon entering, you'll find yourself in a dim and gloomy place. From the dazzling desert sunlight to the chilly interior of the tavern, most customers' eyes will need some time to adjust, which is enough for the tavern to scrutinize newcomers.
This was also enough for Fu Qinghai to assess the people inside.
Inside the tavern's main room were scattered seats and individual tables. A band composed entirely of foreigners played cheerful music in a corner, while a curt waiter tossed out strange concoctions from behind the round bar.
The bar, booths, and semi-open private rooms were all packed with customers, who looked like a bunch of strange and dangerous individuals. The moment the hatch opened, the tavern fell silent for a second. The customers all looked up at the man and woman standing at the entrance, then looked away and continued drinking, gambling, discussing business, and smoking hookahs. The tavern returned to its previous noisy state.
As the Rodian said, for those who need to gather information, the bustling local tavern is the perfect place; it can satisfy all your needs.
The reincarnators clearly think the same way.
There are players in the tavern, and more than one.
Fu Qinghai made up his mind the moment he stepped into the tavern.
Just like Fu Qinghai, the reincarnators all chose localized clothing and attire. No one wore clothes that were obviously not from this universe, but their special aura could be detected at a glance by anyone who had been in the reincarnation world for a long time. Fu Qinghai was certain that there were reincarnators in the tavern, but he just couldn't pick out each and every one of them precisely.
"Humph."
Fu Qinghai smiled. The table was almost full. He led Sirli to sit down at the round bar.
Tatooine truly lives up to its reputation as the "center of the universe" and the "origin of everything" in the Star Wars multiverse. Even though the major events in the storyline take place on the distant planet Minsaka, the reincarnators still choose to gather in a small tavern on this barren desert planet.
"any drinks?"
The bartender turned around and looked at the two of them, asking a question.
"What's this?"
Fu Qinghai looked up at the bartender and asked in return.
"Dangdang."
The bartender tapped on the huge piece of equipment behind him:
"The central bar is a high-tech product bought from Coruscant. The mixing computer has 16,000 recipes and can synthesize every drink you can think of. Of course, that miser Charles won't always have all the necessary ingredients on hand."
"but……"
The bartender leaned closer, pointed to a group of Pikes sitting in a semi-open booth, and whispered:
“We also have the purest spices here. Look, the supplier is sitting right there. As long as you can afford it, you can add whatever you want to your wine. It’s absolutely potent.”
The "spice" in Star Wars is actually a drug.
The Pike Gang is the largest drug cartel in the galaxy.
Upon hearing that drugs would be added to the cocktails, Fu Qinghai immediately lost interest in the famous Moss Eisley Bar's signature drinks and waved his hand, saying:
"No need, just give me a glass of iced Bansa Blue milk and a serving of roasted camel meat, and I want the roast meat medium-rare."
The bartender glanced at Fu Qinghai with some disdain, thinking that such a burly man didn't even drink. Still not giving up, he turned to Sirli beside him and asked:
And you, ma'am?
"A banzza yogurt smoothie, please."
Siri spoke calmly.
Fu Qinghai pushed a few credits onto the bar.
The bartender grabbed the money, pursed his lips, and turned to get back to work.
Bansa is a herbivore native to Tatooine, resembling a combination of highland yak and American bison, though much larger than both. Tusken raiders particularly favored taming this animal as a livestock mount.
Blue milk is Banza milk, a dairy drink that's all the rage in the galaxy, supposedly sweet and nutritious. Fu Qinghai, having had his fill of the quick-cooked dehydrated rations on the foodie ship, was eager to try the famous blue milk.
While the tavern was preparing the barbecue and blue milk, Fu Qinghai sat at the bar and slowly closed his eyes.
As soon as Siri saw Fu Qinghai's expression, he knew that Fu Qinghai was secretly using the power of the Ear of Qilotix.
In fact, with Lyman's Ear and Force Hearing, Fu Qinghai could hear every sound in the tavern, regardless of volume: the soft clinking of ice cubes in glasses, the shouts of gamblers placing bets, the whispered plots of smugglers, and the sweet words exchanged between a playboy and a waitress.
Besides the main hall, the Moss Eisley Tavern also has several private booths at the far end of the corridor, which are reserved for customers to discuss matters in secret. If any booth door is not completely closed and there is even a small gap, Fu Qinghai can hear the conversation inside clearly.
Fu Qinghai's eyes remained gently closed.
He was filtering the sounds he heard.
He filtered out the incomprehensible foreign languages, discarded all the meaningless noise, flirting, and everyday conversations, focusing instead on the whispered hushed conversations. Then, he caught a few interesting exchanges:
"Have you found Luke Skywalker?"
“I found his uncle, who said that Luke had left Tatooine with a mysterious man. That night, I sneaked into his family’s wet farm to investigate, and Luke was indeed not there. What his uncle said must be true. Someone got there before us. I don’t know if it was Obi-Wan or some other reincarnator.”
"Let's leave that for now. Too many players are eyeing Luke. Even if we find him, it's unlikely we can control him. Let's think about our second reason for coming to Tatooine."
"Of course, everything is ready."
"Are you sure you can lure that guy out?"
“You have no idea how much I bribed those sand people; they promised to help me lure out a Krete dragon.”
"Have you prepared all the necessary explosives?"
“I got a ton of radium and half a ton of heavy radium nitrate, enough to kill that Kretroon three times over.”
"We would have lost out if Dragon Ball hadn't come out!"
"The higher the risk, the greater the reward. Think about it, a Dragon Ball the size of a human head can even be exchanged for a spaceship. If we had a ship like the Millennium Falcon, wouldn't we be able to easily conquer other reincarnation worlds? If we find things are not going well, we can just set sail and run away. Who can stop us then?"
"You have a point."
"Even if that Kreto Dragon doesn't produce the Dragon Balls, I still have a backup plan, so don't worry, hehe."
Kreta Dragon? Dragon Ball?
Fu Qinghai perked up immediately upon hearing this word.
"Snapped!"
A glass of blue milk with ice and a plate of sizzling, oily roasted meat were placed in front of Fu Qinghai.
"Your blue milk, and the barbecue."
The bartender spoke without any expression.
…………