Jaka and AL: chapter 1, part 2

Part 2:
Looking into the little puddle of water once more, Jaka determined where the shiny bit was coming from. Using his bright keen eyes and his great since of direction he found a piece of metal sticking out of the sand bog about 5 meters to the left of the puddle. Some of the water had seaped towards the metal , but it had not corroded yet. This was a good sign, meaning this was fairly new and not rusted yet. Was this from the Imperial spy ship? There was only one way to find out. Jaka took out his digging stick and began to shovel the sand away. He finally looked up and noticed how dark the sky was becoming. He had to dig this up fast! Being out here alone in the dark with Tusken Raiders banding into large hunting groups was a frightful thought. Jaka dug feverishly, not really looking at what he was digging up. Then, suddenly he jumped back, realizing what the object was. A big black radar eye stared back at Jaka, then a very dim Logic Display flashed ever so briefly. Jaka threw his digging stick on the ground with disgust. You see, droids were a dime a dozen in the jawa world. Everybody had droids, droids flooded the market, droids were a hassle to repair, droids were senseless machinery that followed everyone like cute little desert rat dogs. Cute! That's how one off-worlder described droids. And Jaka despised cute! This was Tatooine, a very non-cute world, full of violent storms and shady characters. Who needs cute!!!

Jaka picked up the stick and bottle of water, turned his back on the buried droid, and started to head back up the ravine. He got as far as the other side of the puddle when he heard a faint cry from the droid. Something strange stirred in Jaka's heart. Jaka was not one to have sympathy or feelings for anyone or anything. Why should he? No one ever loved or cared for him. His life was spent hardening his heart, being tough in a tough world. He didn't need or want anyone or anything, except his junk. So why did his heart flutter when the droid pleaded faintly for help? Why did Jaka feel compelled to continue digging this droid up and take him home? Why was it getting dark fast?

Jaka had the urge to turn around and run, avoiding the sandpeople. Instead he walked back to the droid and spent the twilight hours, dangerous hours, helping the droid that still had some life left in him. It was going to be challenge carrying a heavy fully equipped droid that couldn't walk. After all these things weighed about 250 pounds. Jaka was a very svelt 120 pounds. He expected to find small bits of metal, not a whole working droid! So, in the dark, cursing himself to death for his stupidity of trying to rescue a droid in the dark, Jaka went to find some sticks and canvas to make a carrier for the droid. Sandpeople always left behind bits of tent canvas when they broke camp. It didn't take long for Jaka to find some. Problem was there were still a couple raiders still standing in the broken camp! UH OH! This is not what Jaka wanted to face! But he knew getting the canvas was the droid's only hope....