EXT. CORUSCANT - COCO TOWN - NOMANSINBOTZ MOTEL - EVENING

Two landspeeders pass over the road, crossing each others’ path as they move past a motel. The motel is inconspicuous and small, tucked in between two larger buildings; it is an older, somewhat-ramshackle building, with a large neon sign plastered above the front entrance.

A taxi races down the road, comes to the front of the motel and jerks to a suddenly stop. The side door opens, and Anakin quickly climbs out.

CABBIE : That’ll be 15.50, kid.

ANAKIN : (handing him the credits) Keep the change.

The cabbie nods his head once, grunting in acknowledgement, and closes the door before Anakin can do so. The taxi then takes off, roaring off down the road, leaving Anakin standing there alone.

The former moisture farmer turns around, looking at the motel.

ANAKIN : Nomansinbotz Motel ... Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Nomansinbotz.

Anakin walks forward toward the Nomansinbotz Motel.

INT. CORUSCANT - NOMANSINBOTZ MOTEL - LOBBY - EVENING

The door opens, and Anakin steps inside, closing the door behind him. The lobby is small, dimly-lit by flickering florescent lights set in the ceiling, with countless black gnats flying about in the air. In the left corner of the room stands a false wood counter, and in the right a corridor leads off into darkness. The counter is unoccupied.

Anakin walks up to the counter, and sees a button set into the top. He presses it, and a loud buzzer goes off; he jumps, startled by the unexpectedly loud sound.

A sealed door behind the counter opens, and a gangly, four-armed, two-headed Troig with three insect swatters in his hands walks in. The left head is Noman, and the right Botz; together, they are Nomansinbotz.

NOMAN : Hi.

BOTZ : There.

As Nomansinbotz closes the door, the gnats in the lobby move in around him, visibly annoying the Troig.

ANAKIN : Hi. Do you have any rooms?

The Troig doesn’t respond. He’s too busy swatting at the flying insects moving around about him.

NOMAN : Stupid little -

ANAKIN : (coughs)

BOTZ : (noticing Anakin) Oh, sorry. Didn’t hear you. Distracted
by the gnats.

NOMAN : Damn things - always come out on dirty nights like these.

ANAKIN : Do you have any rooms?

BOTZ : Sure ... twelve vacancies, twelve rooms.

NOMAN : We don’t get much clientele, as you can see.

BOTZ : But we keep lighting the lights and following the formalities.

NOMAN : It’s business as usual.

ANAKIN : How much for a room?

BOTZ : It’s twelve credits a night.

Anakin pulls a pouch out from one of his pants’ pockets, empties some credits into his hand, counts the money, then hands it over to Nomansinbotz. The Troig looks the credits over.

NOMAN : Staying a week?

ANAKIN : Shouldn’t be any longer than that. I hope, anyway. (cont’d) Say, you don’t happen to have a vending machine around here do you? I’m kinda hungry, and I could use a bite.

BOTZ : Ah, no ... Sorry.

NOMAN : We took the last one out after we found out it attracted the wrong kind of clientele (eyeing the gnats) If you catch my meaning.

ANAKIN : So there’s no place -

BOTZ : Well, there’s a diner -

NOMAN : Dex’s Diner -

BOTZ : about two kilometres up the road.

ANAKIN : That close, huh?

NOMAN : It’s nothing special, but it’s awful homey.

BOTZ : Their ardees is to die for.

NOMAN : (smirking) You can say that again.

Botz sees three gnats land on one of Noman’s arms. He swats the insects, leaving a welt and drawing Noman’s ire.

NOMAN : Watch it, Botz!

At that moment another Troig - a female shorter than Nomansinbotz - comes walking out from the corridor, passing by Anakin towards the door.

BOTZ : Hey! Where do you think you’re going, Mahrsinycan?

MAHR : Out, Father!

NOMAN : Out where?

YCAN : Just for a walk.

BOTZ : A walk, huh? Does the basket need some exercise?

MAHR : (looking down at the basket of food in her lower left hand, then back up at the elder Troig) I was just -

NOMAN : Just going out to have a quiet, romantic dinner under the stars with that Semsinlumsis boy?

YCAN : We’re grown women, Father! We can do -

BOTZ : And after dinner, what then, girl? Music? Whispers?

MAHR : Father -

NOMAN : I’ll not have them appease their ugly appetite with my food ... or my daughters!

YCAN : (angry) This isn’t fair!

Mahrsinycan throws the basket down on the floor in rage, spilling its contents. The young teenaged Troig then retreats back down the corridor, slipping into her room and slamming the door behind her.

BOTZ : (turning back to Anakin, an embarrassed grin on his face) Kids.

ANAKIN : Yeah, kids ... (cont’d) Listen, thanks for telling me about the diner. I think I’ll go for some of that ardees you told me about. See you later.

As Anakin moves toward the door the Troig holds up a hand. Anakin stops.

NOMAN : (pulls a large datapad out from under the counter top) Would you mind signing the register first?

ANAKIN : (going back to the desk, taking the datapad) Okay, sure.