The next three days fell into a routine of Scan, Repair and then work the old fashioned way until my mana refilled. Repeat. Both abilities had leveled up twice, meaning Scan now cost 7 mana to cast. Repair now cost 7 mana per seconds and could renew 1.3 kilos of material per second. Due to cking a primary processor module, and the part being too complex for me to reasonably Repair, I even got to level Summon Part once.

  Summon Part would now cost me 9 mana a second to conjure 0.35 kilos of a part per second. I was very eager to keep testing that ability as the half kilo processors modules could sell for almost 300 credits a pop. If I could find a way to exploit this for maximum value I could get quite the starship fund going. The only drawback to Summon Part, was that it required triple the amount of material in exchange. Though this wasn't the burden it might have seemed, as the materials didn't need to be particurly valuable. Thus some cheap desh scrap was used to conjure up a nice new processor module.

  I enjoyed using Technomancy and was always excited to use each ability. Everything had a logical progression and would over time make me a very rich man. What's not to love? So far the only thing really holding me back was a ck of Mana Sources and I'd been so busy utilizing my abilities I hadn't had time to channel excess mana into mana crystals.

  My few attempts at using Sense Mana Sources had turned up nothing within a kilometer of this station. Meaning I'd have to go hunting, and thankfully tomorrow was my final payment. An administrator was due to come by, to give me my new credentials and remove my tracking chip. I had my doubts that Koples would try anything funny at this stage. He had plenty of other money making businesses to worry about, most of which raked in far more credits than I did. But I wasn't a fool either, Hutt betray as a matter of course. To them its your fault if you fall for their sleazy tactics.

  The best news was that yesterday a droid retailer had come by and purchased the Charging Station I'd repaired for 900 credits. A hundred credits would go to Koples for doing business on his property, but the rest of the money would. by salvage rights, go straight in my pocket. Between that and the rest of my savings I'd have enough funds to get started with my new life.

  I could barely focus for the rest of that day and the next morning. I'd already packed my few personal belongings and was left waiting for the official to arrive.

  When he did make it, he was it was actually evening and I was beginning to think that the slimy Hutt had pulled some trickery. When the sleek and elegant speeder stopped by the shop, I was actually a little stunned. I guess it was just the nature of bureaucracy to get deyed. The official looked very fancy, but underneath those bright and voluminous robes, was the look of a harried sentient.

  He was a Rhodian that refused to speak basic even though it was obvious he did. So we spoke in Huttese. Not my favorite nguage, but everyone had to learn it to get by here. After we quickly performed the ritual niceties, we got to the crux of our meeting.

  "Do you have your final payment ready?" He held out his hand. He was wearing several ring that glittered in the mplight. Working for the City had its rewards, but seem too big a headache to me. Plus everyone knew that the w was mostly a fa?ade. If the Hutts really pushed for something, legalities would be forgotten quickly.

  "Of course." I handed over the credits, while clutching the datapad with all my payment statements just in case. I'd also had the local bank run by a different cn of Hutts verify my payment history, weeks ago. It cost a unpleasant amount, but it was an extra yer of security. The Admin's bribe was already included in my calcutions, I'd tried to cover all the possibilities. I'd already sent Koples his bribe, as was customary on Tatooine.

  But I was paranoid about this moment. Even my turrets were set to fire if anything happened to me, or anyone unknown got too close, or if I made a simple gesture. I trusted no one and nothing right now.

  The Rhodian bounced the credstick in his hand, as if he could already tell how much was on it. Then he slotted it to confirm the amount anyway. He nodded and even looked pleased at his cut. As pleased as a Rhodian could look anyway.

  "Liam Mors you are free of all debts and obligations to Gruis Koples. By the authority given me by the Council of Rekarsh, I now remove your tracking chip, and grant you the rights of a 4th css citizen of our fair city." His movements were swift and deft, using a extractor to yank the chip out from under my skin. It was a good pain, and I didn't flinch. He then handed over a datastick with all of my updated credentials.

  "I wish you wealth and fortune, citizen Mors." the admin left quickly, and headed directly back to the Walls, no one wanted to be outside the city at night. Especially not the people who were forced to be.

  The darkening sky put me in a slightly troubling position.

  By the local ws, I had an hour to get my things and get out of the shop, or I'd be trespassing. A crime punishable by a 1000 credit fine, or 1 year of servitude. Koples would love for me to screw up like that. That's why I'd already packed, and my portable turret was strapped to my back and my EE-3 was slung across my chest. Full Toolbelt riding my waist. I didn't have much in the way of other supplies, but I knew a pce I could stay for the night and then go shopping in the morning.

  There was a local cantina, The Dizzy Rancor, that rented rooms nearby, usually by the hour. But the owner wouldn't mind me staying the whole night. Mithoss wasn't what you'd call a friend, but the Ithorian was friendly. Unless you gave him a reason not to be.

  Once I entered the loud and smoky main room, I barely looked at anyone. Mostly because, the crowd here could get rough and I didn't want to get in trouble on my first night of freedom. Also, while I knew a few of these characters, some of them quite well, I was uninterested in company of any kind right now.

  So I sat at a table. when the server came by I ordered a bantha steak with klese sauce and some kind of tuber as a side. When it got to my table I tore into the food with a passion. This was the first properly cooked meal I'd had in eight years. I washed it down with a cup a Fizz juice. Way too sweet, but I loved it anyway.

  Sure enough, I got treated to some dinner entertainment when two smugglers decided to settle accounts at the bar. They both drew and both missed the first shot. The second round of fire saw the Trandoshan dead and the human mortally wounded. Dumb. Leave me out of that kind of stupidity. Nobody reacted much to the fight. Soon the body and the wounded idiot were dragged away by staff.

  Mithoss set me up with a room in the back, he needed a few repairs done and I was more than happy to pay with a little work rather than my credits. Nothing he asked for took me very long, I didn't even use my Technomancy. Mithoss was so pleased with my work, he gave me a voucher chit for breakfast in the morning. A decent sentient in this pce, who would've imagined.

  I wasted no time in getting cleaned up in my room's sonic shower. The gentle vibrations tickled, but it was worth every bit of effort it took to get here. A proper shower felt tremendous after all these years. I'd been cleaning myself with sand scrubbing and scraping sticks. It worked but was very unpleasant.

  I remembered to deploy my portable turret before crashing onto the first real bed I'd been on it ages. Trouble had a way of sneaking up on people when they got too comfortable. Best to be prepared. I left my EE-3 close to hand, as well.

  In seconds, I fell deep into sleep.