The Oldarn Farmland

[Jenno]

As Dengar Oldarn began work on the plotting of a new season's crops, he wondered what day it was. As soon as the thought entered his mind, it was just as quickly dimissed. Time itself took on a much different aspect at the farmland. Days held no consequence. Not even years. Only the amount of time from sun up to sun down, the length of a growing season (Of which Dantooine had two each year, one Greater and one Lesser), and the rare stretches of time between certain special events that warranted measuring. And since Dengar never had a day off, he never kept track of the days. There was no need to, but it was always nice to know these kinds of things.

He sighed as he took a count of rows, columns, and stacks. (Yot Beans, the principle crop of the Farmland, were grown not only in rows and colums stretching in two dimensions but also, due to the nature of the legume, could be grown in upward plots of up to ten, a technique discovered long ago, but rarely used, due to it's inconvenience.) He had at least a thousand cubic plots less than the season prior, due to a recent accident with the damned irrigation system. And, though Dengar was no expert at mathematics, he knew well enough that less plots meant less beans meant less credits. It wasn't going to be a good year.

Which is when another unwanted thought came into his mind, it was one he had thought many times in recent days, and one he was actually considering more and more. It regarded a message Dengar had recieved from the Sith Dantooine Industrailization Project, or just SDIP. The message itself was one which many, many farmers on Dantooine had recieved. It was an offer to buy the Farmland and for Dengar to work in the industry that would replace the purchased land should he choose to sell. He had recieved the message a long time ago (One month, three weeks, and four days, to be exact. But, then again, he wasn't counting.) At first, he had deleted the message and refused to sell.

But today when he thought about it, he realized just how good a deal the offer was. The Oldarn family didn't have much, but the one thing they had a lot of was land. Trouble was, only about a third of the land they owned was even farmable. Not that this mattered to the Sith. They'd take all the land, level it, and build up, regardless of the land's condition. Actually, a few weeks ago, Dengar considered selling off the land they couldn't use. But that was the damnable thing about the sith. All their offers were final. It was either all the land, or none of it.

Which is why he was still undecided as to what he would do with the land, though he really wasn't too worried about it. For, even as he began setting up the hoverplots in stacks of ten, the thought escaped his mind, and he began to think of the next season, when his son would be old enough to at last help out with the crop.


(Cue somebody, maybe a sith.)

[Fro' Phantom]

Fearious scouted the land until he saw the farm in the distance. He hopped back into his speeder and drove it to the farm house. This was one of Fearious' first missions. He was surprised that they would pick his homeworld of all the damned places in the galaxy, but then again the Sith moved in mysterious ways. He hoped that he could learn these ways when He would come into power.

He began to ponder on the Dark Side when he finally stopped at the farm. He slowed his speeder to a halt and hopped back out. He took a deep breath of the air. He could already smell a weak minded fool nearby. Must be the farmer. He took a look at the house. Reminded him of his house, only less burnt. He slowly walked the perimeter of the house hold waiting for someone to show up. He could only wait so long...

[Jenno]

Dengar had just finished hooking up the new irrigation system to the hoverplots when he heard the approaching footsteps. Actually, on a quiet day like today, with his wife and son out to purchase supplies, there had not been a sound all day, which meant that any unfamiliar sound was easy enough to determine.

With that, Dengar Oldarn made his way towards where the footsteps had orgininated from, and made his own way aronud his home until he came face to face with his visitor.

"Hello, there. Something I can do for you, perhaps?"

He asked, only partially concerned with the person in front of him, moreso on his way to go attach the irrigation system to the main water lines.

[Fro' Phantom]

Fearious turned to the man.

"Yes I am looking for a..." Fearious looked to his data-pad,"...A Denger Oldarn?" he asked

Fearious already knew the man. As a boy he use to run from his house and play in fields of crops. It usually turned out to be Oldarn's field. Funny how things like this happen. Small universe...

[Jenno]

Dengar nodded upon having his name called.

"Yes, that is me. Are you from SDIP or the Administration? Sorry, but I wasn't expecting an appointment. Must have missed your message, then."

He said, not too particularily interested. Unlike most on Dantooine, Dengar was actually more bored with the unusual than the everyday. Just one of the many reasons why Dengar Oldarn was so very well suited to being a farmer.

[Fro' Phantom]

"Yes, I am part of the Sith Dantooine Industrialization project. You were one of the many farmers who received our message. We had not gotten a reply from you yet so we would like to know if you have decided wheather or not to become a part of this program. All we need is now is who much you would like to sell this land so that we may buy it."

Fearious tired of this job. He sounded so...so salesman like. He hated the thought. He just wished he could kill this man and burn down his farm. He let his mind wander for a second...

[Jenno]

Dengar suddenly found himself growing somewhat angry at this. It was his decision, and they were trying to force him into making it too quickly. This was what he thought, and the thought upset him.

He shouted.

"You will get none of my land! Now get off of it now, before I report you to the Administration."

Then, he turned and headed back towards the hoverplots.

[Fro' Phantom]

Fearious began to get impatient. He made a small chuckle to himself. This man did not know the powers of the Sith.

"I wouldn't do that farmer. You see we need this land. In order to cultivate this planet to its full potential will need every bit of cooperation. Now if you don't come back her and 'discuss' prices than will just have to take more drastic measures in order to get this land."

He waited for the farmers next words, for they could be his last...

[Jenno]

(You really can't kill him unless he goes into DeathMatch with you, so don't go too sithy on him )

Dengar wanted to ignore the remark, but he had little choice. The sith were strong on this planet, and he couldn't afford to go to toe with them.

So much for freedom...

He thought to himself as he turned around and stepped towards the representative again. Now when he spoke, his words were more pleading than anything.

"Listen, this land is not worth your trouble. It's on a hill, the flat area is flooded... groundwater is only six feet deep. I discussed this with the last representative who came. None of your projecs can use my land. It would cost twice what you're offering just to level the area and drain the run-off."

For emphasis, he showed the sith his land. Though it was good-sized, there was a reason why the land could only support that small number of plots.

"It is not much, but it is all me and my family have. It is no good to you, and you don't even need to buid around me. This whole region heads off onto a ridge. Everything west of here is worthless until you reach the river. Why can't you just let me to what I have?"

He said, not knowing what to expect.

[Fro' Phantom]

"Foolish man. There is no persuading a sith. Now let us discuss a price. To tell the truth I don't care for your land, but the SDIP do. They may make whatever they want with it. They want it. They'll get it. They always do. Now what is your price?"

Fearious had little or no patience when it came from foolish people, and what little he had was tiring. If this continued any longer he might just snap. He wished he had learned force persuasion but alas he had not gotten that far in training. It would have been useful now.

[Jenno]

"I do not want Credits. I want land. I want a farm. I want my home. I have no price. My home has no price. You can not buy it. And the Administration will not let you take it. I know the laws, and you must obey them here also."

Dengar looked down one of the roads nearby.

"I am... expecting an Administration representative here also, to discuss an Iriaz problem. They will be here soon. If you came here for conflict, today is not your day."

He said, hoping for all the Galaxy that the representative would arrive soon.

[Fro' Phantom]

Fearious winced. He had no other choice.

"Fine old man. Have it your way. But remember who your dealing with. I might come back one more time. And the next time I will get this land."

Fearious headed off beyond the hills, not caring whether or not there was actually a representative. As walked a dirt path he began to remember the route from when he was young. This is the way he took to his home. He use to camp out here. He would camp here again one last time.

In the night Fearious lit fire to the farm and house with permission from the SDIP. The smoke from burning plantations filled the air. Everything burned and burned. Fearious smiled. He finished his job. Now to inform the SDIP for clean up crew. He turned back and waited until he heard the terrified screams of the family in the burning house as they cried for help. And just like that, he was gone.