....for disappearing without an update sometime last month. We are not exactly lost in space, but rather the author's brain is. Writer's block is a tricky thing when combined with the realities of being in grad school. There is an unposted chapter (half-written) at the moment. I try to write a few chapters before releasing them in hopes of consistency. Really hoping to begin posting chapters again soon---most likely around Christmas thanks to final paper & project due dates. Some things to look forward to: new character introductions, shady locations, space, and violent shenanigans.
The shot hit the smuggler, rearing him back and off the crate. The body thudded loudly as it hit the ground. One more. Arruna ran down the aisle of crates towards the rest of her crew, knowing that it would only be a few more seconds before they took the last man down.
“Arruna!” Grashk yelled as Jin continued firing at the last man standing, “get Keva!”
The body groaned and turned, “drag me over where we are not going to be shot at…”
Arruna froze. This woman wasn’t dead yet. She looped her arms around Keva’s calves and dragged her over to where she had shot the thug. They would be safe here for as long as it took Keva to pass on. To her astonishment, Keva sat herself up and began checking herself for damage.
Without the hood of her cloak pulled up, Keva’s face appeared dirty, with blonde hair matted to her bloody forehead. “One shot me in the hip and I was fine until another shot me in nearly the same spot again.”
Arruna surveyed herself and realized how much blood covered her, “We’re all a mess aren’t we?”
Keva let out a sigh just as the top of the crate shattered. She leaned forward and pulled Arruna over onto her as the wood splinters flew into her side. Flustered by the sudden closeness, but thankful to not be hit by the crate shards, Arruna sat up and brushed herself off.
“How are you still alive?” She kept her face blank to show how serious she was about this question. Arruna’s traveled up Keva’s hip examining the wound damning her to the ground. The blast spot was charred but not exactly bleeding. It looked more like damage she had seen in her workshop. This isn’t right.
“Is there something you want to tell me?”
Keva refused to meet her eyes, “About my prosthetic?”
Arruna felt her face flush suddenly, opening her mouth to respond but words would not form. A cry echoed through the warehouse and she saw Keva’s blue eyes widen. “No…no you can’t go help like this. You can’t even walk!”
Keva disregarded Arruna’s plea to stay, rolling on her side and crawling to peak around the crate. Arruna scuttled behind her to stay covered by the remainder of the crate. They both peered out and spotted the last gunman as he fell. He dropped his blaster as his knees gave out.
Grashk and Jin stood in front of him with their weapons still drawn, chests heaving from exertion. This was the last of the Doba men in the building, on the edge of death. A radio crackled in his pocket.
Jin used his foot to kick open the flap of his jacket and reveal the communicator. The dying man groaned and stretched out his arm to reach his weapon. Arruna could see the man’s gloved hands scraping the dirt floor. He could barely lift his head but turned it just enough to see Keva and her behind the crate.
He wretched in a coughing fit, smiling at Jin. His hand gripped the blaster and smiled, “There’s more coming…”
With the tensing of his wrist he shot the blaster pistol at Arruna and Keva. Arruna watched as if she were trapped in slow motion, the plasma streak between their heads. The brightness blinded her for a second as she recoiled and fell back. She felt Keva’s weight fall next to her as well. But something felt different. The shot had missed.
Her eyes burned from the kicked up dust, she rubbed at them before sitting up. The sound of another blaster firing startled her up to a sitting position. “That was too close.”
She placed her hand on Keva’s shoulder, she still laid on the ground. Still. Arruna’s pulse quickened. Keva wasn’t moving. She felt the air leave the room and the ground rumble. “Wait, no.” The shot had flown past them. She was sure of it.
Arruna shook Keva, and her head lolled to one side. A strip of skin was seared where the shot grazed her head. “Jin!” she wailed, “help me over her!” Grashk remained where he stood over the dead thug’s body, vigilant for any new enemies. Jin paled as he ran over and knelt beside Arruna. He propped Keva’s body and checked for a pulse at her throat with his thumb. Then again at her wrist. His eyes were trained on the ground as he counted.
“I can’t find a pulse…she’s either failing or dead.” As he faced Arruna, her face crumpled. No tears came, just an empty throb in her chest. Her hands gripped the edge of Keva’s green cloak as anger erupted within her. “Not again…”
Jin stood suddenly and motioned to Grashk to come over to Keva’s body. “You got any stint packs? I want to patch her up a bit before I try to move her out of here.”
Grashk nodded and Arruna sat in the dirt, still holding onto Keva’s cloack. Her hands shook and she clenched her teeth. It felt as though her whole body was vibrating.
“What the hell is that?!” Jin yelled.
Grashk ducked down with his bowcaster ready to fire. Arruna held her breathe trying to calm herself. I’m not shaking…
A low rumbling became more intense and the walls creaked. “Everybody get down!” Grashk yelled as the ceiling gave way and something huge crashed through the wall. The blast created a large dust cloud and debris tumbled across the floor. The row of crates on the other side of the building exploded as weight crushed them.
The sound of an engine roared and then died as dust began to settle. Jin and Arruna coughed while Grashk walked forward to whatever awaited him in the cloud.
The mechanical sound of a loading ramp descending reverberated through the warehouse and a quiet voice chimed, “Umm, hello?”
The figure stood at the bottom of the ramp, connected to a YT-1000. A light fixture cable gave out and landed a few feet from the ramp. It appeared to be a blue Duros in simple piloting gear. His red eyes flicked back and forth looking for someone to address.
Arruna watched as Grashk stood and brushed himself off. She realized how much dirt now coated her clothing. Jin coughed and spit. The Wookiee made his way over to the stranger to greet him.
“Oh hello, sir. Terribly sorry about your storage facility….I, um, had some issues with my ship here.” He gestured to the YT-1000 lodged in the wall as if it were for sale.
Grashk turned his head and checked the room from where he stood, letting out a grunt, “Thanks for that.” He pointed at the end of the ramp.
“For what?” the stranger scratched his bald head and looked around. He looked to where the Wookiee pointed and gasped. The ramp had come down and decapitated the last Doba thug.
“Arruna, Jin! Bring Keva onto the ship!”
The Duros blanched, “Pardon me? This isn’t your ship sir.”
Jin and Arruna carried Keva over and up the ramp without pause. Grashk nodded at them and turned back to the shocked pilot, “this isn’t my warehouse either.”
He turned and followed the others into the ship hull, chuckling to himself. The Duros mumbled and pulled out a data pad before following the Wookiee, “no good, not good.”
I apologize for the delayed post, it should have been scheduled to post yesterday like the previous 2 chapters.
Please note that chapters will start getting posted further apart---this is because college classes have resumed and I find myself quit a bit busier than during the summer break.
Planning to continue writing chapters as best I can, especially since our group is already far ahead in gameplay compared to where they are at in the story.
Expect one chapter every two weeks for now, I may take a break for a month in order to catch up in writing and to stay on top of my studies.
Ortto bobbed up and down in the air as they approached a battered old building with a dark stone face. The group stopped behind him and checked for security guards and wandering locals. This wasn’t the end of town where one would be found without secure ties to the Doba organization.
Jin looked to Grashk, “Course of action?”
Jin laughed lightly, “Abandoned.”
“This is not a time for puns,” Keva scolded him.
Each of them pulled out their weapons and readied themselves to storm the entrance. This is too easy.
Arruna tiptoed up to the metal door at the left side of the warehouse building. She pressed her ear to the door and placed her palm against the doorjam. At first there seemed to be no sound from the other side, until the faint tap of footsteps began echoing inside. It might be abandoned but someone is here. She pulled her head back up and whispered over her shoulder for Grashk to come listen.
The Wookiee listened and sniffed, his eyes dilated, “Bring Ortto here.”
Keva dragged the annoyed Toydarian by the leg as he hovered in midair. Placing him in front of Grashk. “You’re going to open the door and act like we’re your friends.”
Ortto scowled for a moment before masking himself in a pious grin, “awh yes, come with me my friends!” He tugged at the door handle, unable to yank it open with his own strength.
“It’s locked. I have to knock…” he said in an exasperated tone.
Arruna did not want to be one the first of the pack into the warehouse, so she walked over behind Jin. Keva paced the front of the building, looking up.
Jin pointed, “hey what’s she up to?”
“I’m not sure but…” Keva launched herself upwards, sailing onto the ledge of the roof and disappearing. Arruna stared blankly at the roof, back at the ground, then again at the roofline.
“Jin, umm, the transport gas should have worn off a long time ago but I think I just hallucinated.” She glanced up at him, eyes wide with confusion.
“Did you happen to hallucinate Keva vaulting onto the roof?” His expression clearly baffled.
He said nothing, turning back to stare at the top of the warehouse and shaking his head. “We’re going to need to have a family meeting tonight.”
Back at the warehouse door, Grashk pulled the door open for Ortto to fly in and announce himself. Arruna and Jin kept pace behind Grashk as they marched in one by one. Inside the room was cool and dim, filled with rows of large unmarked crates. It took a moment for Arruna’s eyes to adjust. Two men appeared speaking quickly by an open crate, ready to be filled.
Ortto coughed loudly and the men startled, reaching for their blasters. One held his with both hands, low against his dark blue jacket. The other looked much more shaken, and appeared to limp as he swayed from side to side. The few lights that hung from high above reflected against the blood splatter stained into his coat. The man shouted, “That’s them! They killed Daro!”
He fired at Jin and spoke into a comm link, “Intruders at storage house 314!” Three lackeys ran in from another door in the corner. Arruna scrambled behind a solid looking crate for cover. I fix droids, I can’t do this! Jin and Grashk ran towards them, taking aim. Each blasted at the enemies, barely missing as the smuggler men dodged. The Wookiee’s bowcaster glowed faintly as he fired at the man with the comm link, stunning him.
The other man beside him ambled towards a crate for cover and tripped. A large chunk from the ceiling fell and smacked him in the head. Arruna heard the loud crack of the man being knocked out and peaked out from around the crate. Up in the ceiling, looking down at the incapacitated enemy was Keva. She dropped down a rope and slid down, letting go 2 yards above the other man. She landed on his back, arms out holding her vibroknives. A moment later, the man was falling backwards lifeless as Keva drew back her weapons. Two down, three to go.
The crunching of boots made Arruna turn back, one of the smuggler lackeys had snuck up on her. She reached for the blaster pistol in her utility belt as he leapt down onto her. His eyes went blank and she realized that she had shot him. This was not the first time she had killed someone, but it was the first time she had to kill a stranger. No no no no. She shrieked and pushed the body off of her. The man’s blood streaked down the side of her face, she wiped it off with her shirt and stood. “Why am I even here?” she huffed before turning back to look over the crate. Jin kept firing at a smuggler on top of one of the crate a few yards away. Keva charged another who shot at her. She took a hit to the hip but continued to fight.
Grashk braced himself against a crate off to the side of Jin and fired three times at the enemy across the room. The thug only held a blaster pistol but looked like he was searching for something else on his belt. His jacket opened slightly and revealed a frag grenade. Arruna could get a clear shot at the man if she could get around to the next row of crates. She holstered her blaster pistol for a second, fumbling with the dead man in front of her.
She emptied his pockets, finding little more than ten credits and pushed him over so that he was bent head to knees. She pulled at his coat, removing it to take the padded armor vest beneath. If there was any chance of getting shot, she would use this corpse to her advantage.
The sound of wood splintering made her hurry around to position herself in the next row. The smuggler thug had managed to pull out the frag grenade but he had not yet activated it. Arruna checked over her shoulder and up ahead, she was clear. She steadied her pistol in both hands and fired.
After they left the cantina, Grashk led them west towards the busy marketplace, passing street vendors. He encouraged them to be on the lookout for the man from the bar. He hadn’t been wearing anything that would be easy to spot in the crowds, but he would be limping.
Jin stopped at a booth selling clothing, hanging from one cart to another on a string of wire. His head swiveled back to her, “hey Arruna!” She had wandered slowly behind the rest of them without realizing it. She brushed past a family of Toydareans floating awkwardly in front of an armor kiosk. Once she was beside him, Jin pulled at the bottom of his shirt.
“Think I should get a new shirt here or wait til we get paid from the bounty?”
His shirt had been a medium brown color, until Keva’s knife slit the man’s throat back at the cantina. She touched in tentatively, the blood was still wet. “It’s not that bad, you should probably wait on it.”
He let go of the shirt and it settled back against him, “Ok but soon, because it feels gross and I probably look like a serial killer walking around covered in blood.”
Arruna checked the garment list hanging beside the row of men’s shirts, “There’s not that much blood. You should pull your coat over it if we pass any guards though.”
Keva appeared from out of the crowd beside them, “Grashk found someone useful for finding Bandon Doba, let’s go.” She pushed Jin into the crowd and urged Arruna to follow. A few minutes of weaving through the busy shop area landed them back near the cantina. This time they were on the other side of the cantina, Grashk stood in the alleyway next to Ortto. As Keva, Jin, and Arruna approached them, Ortto fluttered his wings nervously.
Keva stood in front of them, “You again huh?”
Ortto stared at the ground and huffed a loud sigh, mumbling something to himself. Grashk grabbed him by the throat and held him up to them all. His small arms flailed in futility to beat against the Wookiee’s grip.
“Ortto here is going to escort us to the Doba warehouse,” Grashk set the Toydarian down with a thud. Ortto inhaled sharply and brushed off his dust-covered shirt.
“I should have known you would be trouble…”
“Trouble? You like to avoid trouble? Really? Because I paid for a nice bit of information back at the cantina that says otherwise,” Grashk bellowed.
“What…no,” the Toydarian shrank back against the alley wall.
Arruna looked back and forth between the Wookiee and his pawn, “you never bought any information when we were with Velic.” She was a bit confused as to how she could have missed something so important.
Grashk nodded to Keva, and she walked over to block Ortto into a corner. “When I was checking the marketplace I came across another informant. I asked where to find the Doba headquarters so that I could get some smuggling work set up for this month.”
Keva kneelt on the dusty ground next to Ortto, cleaning her vibroknife from earlier that afternoon. Ortto’s eyes stayed on the cloth as it slid up and down the bloody blade.
He continued, “so the man recommended that I speak with a certain Toydarian named Ortto Kanatt…” Grashk’s eyes moved from Arruna and Jin to Ortto’s tired face.
Grashk went on to explain how Ortto worked as a used ship salesman as well as a smuggler for Bandon Doba. Most of his plans included keeping track of the transports sold and fitting them with trackers for moving larger shipments of illegal weapons, livestock, and even slaves. Arruna looked at him with disdain, “Do you deny any of this?”
Ortto finally stood, “No I don’t, but how else do you think anyone can make it on a dustball like this? You can’t farm it unless you’ve got heaps of money for terraforming. The cantina gets robbed or a fight breaks out every other week. I do what I can, don’t look at me like I’m the bantha bait here.”
“Oh poor you! Forced into smuggling for Doba! I don’t buy it,” Jin gestured down the alleyway, “now let’s get going.” Keva sheathed her vibroknife, and nudged Ortto in line beside Grashk.
The three of them followed closely behind as Grashk and Ortto led them through a maze of adjoining alleys. Arruna mumbled to self, “We’ll see who the real bantha bait is…”
“And you are?” Jin asked with raised brows. The man turned back to the Wookiee and cleared his throat to address the group.
“I’m Marius Starwind, this is my associate,” he motioned to the Wookiee. “You’re the group B3ND34 send me, for the job right?” The clownish grin remained plastered on his face.
“Details, details...we’ll get to that.” He shifted his weight, “I would love to sit down and talk to you all but first, I need to take care of some other business. We’ll be back within the hour.” Marius turned on his heels and swaggered away with the Wookie close behind.
Arruna watched as the man and his guard climbed the stairway to the private room above the bar. In front of the doorway at the top of the stairs stood two vigilant men with weapons peaking below their coats. Marius flashed the same confident smile that he had thrust upon her comrades just moments before and dissolved into the blackness of the doorway. Grashk’s distaste rumbled through his closed mouth. “Ten credits says Starwind is a stage name,” Jin joked. Arruna watched Keva’s face crack a smile. Maybe she is human after all?
The group made further introductions for the next hour, not noticing the lack of Marius and accompanying Wookiee. Keva shared little more than what she had already established. She was from Coruscant and a woman. Perhaps she did not yet trust her cohort enough to share anything remotely interesting. Jin did not suffer from such a problem and proceeded to spin a tale of his life on the battlefield and past betrayals. He was a military man through and through, always on the lookout for new weapons and women. Grashk told Arruna stories of hunting in Kashyyyk while Jin finished his drink. He clanked down the glass and slid it to the center of the table, “Hey I think I’m gunna try my luck with that Rodian by the bar…and get another drink.”
Before Arruna could suggest otherwise Keva had already moved out of the booth so that Jin could get up and head to the bar. “This should be amusing,” she lamented. Grashk spotted the Rodian that Jin was set on. He scanned the room for any potential threats.
“Arruna, you believe that Jin is a fool.” She narrowed her eyes on Keva, “so does she.” Jin leaned against the bar looking back at Arruna, raising his eyebrows suggestively. He leaned in and began whispering into the Rodian’s ear.
The blonde shrugged, “This greatly resembles how we met but our positions have changed.”
“Thank you Captain Obvious for your in-depth research.”
“Yes, Jin is not one who thinks much outside of battle. I have known many men like this.”
Arruna nudged Grashk, “Think Marius is gunna come back any time soon? It’s been at least two hours since he left and I’m definitely not going to go look for him.”
The Wookiee glanced back up at the private room at the top of the stairs. “He has not come out of that room, perhaps he won’t be coming back at all. Starwind’s usefulness might have run out today.”
Keva nodded, “The holo screens are listing bounties over in the corner. If Marius is not going to give us a job to do then I will find one myself.”
Arruna considered this a moment, picking a piece of fuzz off of her canvas jacket. Sitting next to Grashk on a warm planet must be avoided next time, or she needed to start carrying lint rollers in her utility belt.
The holographic display in the corner of the room showed the face of an Aqualish with a bounty of five thousand credits. The screen changed after the face rotated a full 360 degrees. Other outlaws were displayed, the credit value decreasing as it changed from one to the next. The Aqualish’s mug reappeared on the screen, moss green skin with short arachnidic tusks for a mouth. Grashk let out a snort, “we will take Bandon Doba.” The tables nearby fell under a hush, one of the Twi’leks peered warily at their booth. Arruna felt the eyes of other creatures suddenly shifting onto her and her compatriots. Keva appeared not to notice. Grashk looked back to the holo screen, “it seems as though I’ve hit a nerve for the locals…”
Moments later a Devaronian in a thick coat slid a chair up to their table, sitting on it backwards. His horned cranium was a flushed copper offset by yellow-ringed eyes. He leaned forward, scanning his eyes across each of them. “I suggest you don’ speak so loudly when discussing certain bounties…or your furry head might end up on a stick out in the sand.”
His eyes settled on Arruna, “or perhaps you might find yourself in an unfortunate service position, if you kno’ what I mean.” She held her breathe until he turned his eyes to Grashk. Despite his devilish appearance the Devaronian offered his informational services. He shook each of their hands, introducing himself only as Velic.
“Knowledge can be power, so it comes at a price but I can help,” Velic said with a sharp-toothed grin.
Arruna shifted uncomfortably in her seat and listened while Grashk and Keva negotiated a price for more information about the Doba bounty. She found herself drifting backwards in time to a place she dared not go again. She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. A deep voice echoed through her mind. Be a good girl now. A pair of dark eyes met hers.
Grashk elbowed her in the shoulder, “you ok?”
She opened her eyes and gave him a half smile, “yea sorry, I think I’m still feeling the transport gas a little. Just a headache, I’m listening.” It was clear that he had seen through her lie but knew not to push for anything more. The Wookie nodded in understanding.
Velic began explaining the situation with Bandon Doba in the area, particularly in Tellev’s Cantina. He turned back from his backwards chair and pointed to the holo screen. “Doba loves this place, despite his ugly mug on the bounty screen, and people know it’s best to leave him be.”
Arruna interrupted Velic as he opened his mouth to continue, “So what? He likes to hang around, that doesn’t make it dangerous for people to talk about him. It should even be easier to get him if he pops in while we’re getting a drink.”
The Devaronian furrowed his brow, “I haven’t gotten to the important part, Twi’lek.” He lowered his voice as his eyes traveled the perimeter. “Doba is the head of a very successful smuggling ring here on Formos. He has at least eighty men under his command, and tends to be well protected…last I heard, he was negotiating with an off-planet market near Kessel. It’s a big move for his clan.”
Keva looked disinterested. She held her palm up, “I am not against taking down the leader of a smuggling ring. This would not be the first time I set out for a risky bounty, may it be in a group or alone.” Velic scratched the edge of his horns at his forehead.
“A few weeks ago, a Rodian went after the bounty on Bandon Doba….no one has seen him since. He’s likely been captured and sold off or killed.”
Velic looked Arruna in the eyes and sighed. “I strongly suggest that you choose another head on that holo screen.” She narrowed her eyes at him.
The sound of glass shattering and shuffling boots erupted across the room. Jin Ra stood opposite two humans at the bar. The sea of conversation filling the room fell dead at their feet. Velic turned and stood, “those would be his associates…and this is me leaving.” He placed his copper hands in his pockets and ambled towards the exit. As Arruna watched his shape disappear at the door, Grashk headed up to the bar to back up Jin.
The Wookiee reached over his shoulder and held his bowcaster at the ready, “what seems to be the problem?” He eyed one of the men. Jin didn’t turn back, “apparently this lovely lady is this guy’s girlfriend, but she says otherwise.” The Rodian held her breathe as tension mounted around her. Grashk stared over Jin’s shoulder at both of the men, growling. He bared his teeth and snarled. The lead man’s breath caught in his throat as he felt a knife at his throat. Keva’s pale hands gripped her weapon.
“I sharpened this knife yesterday. Perhaps I should test it out.”
He coughed against the pressure of knife, “…this isn’t worth my time.”
Arruna remained seated in the center of the booth, wanting nothing more than for the rough material of the bench to absorb her entirely. The last bar fight with Jin ended with a trip to jail and she wasn’t even the one throwing punches. She watched the conflict from the safe distance patiently. Moments later, the first shot was fired and the female Rodian ducked out of the way. She dashed towards an empty booth a few yards away to hide behind its flipped table. The Duros barman took cover behind the counter and those at the surrounding tables scrambled to clear out. Fantastic.
The man in front of Jin spun to hit Keva, missing and stumbling. Keva released her captive, shoving him into the bar counter. She caught the wingman in his chest with her knife, slashing up into his clavicle. Blood pooled on the floor as he fell. The other human on the floor crawled backwards towards the door, struggling to get to his feet. He ran out the doors in a panic, Grashk’s shadow looming over him.
“That could have gone worse,” Arruna placed her hand on Jin’s shoulder.
He turned and rolled his eyes at her, “Thanks for helping…”
The barman reappeared behind the counter and cursed at them in an unfamiliar language. Grashk tapped Arruna on the back. “We can’t let that man report back to the Doba organization or we’ll have a bounty on all our heads,” he grumbled. Keva kneelt over the dead man’s body, searching his pockets. She pulled his coat back to reveal an added flap holding a small brown bag.
She tossed the bag to the barman, “This man is paying for the damage, sorry for the disruption.”
The Duros caught the bag before it hit him in the face and examined the contents. He looked back up after counting it out, squealing in excitement.
Arruna and Grashk followed Keva to the exit where Jin stood waiting. He had blood spray on his shirt but was otherwise unharmed. She glanced back at the Duros as he bounced around behind the bar with the bag over his head. She smiled at Jin, “it’s his lucky day.”
Lon Ekaim stood over her, black eyes darkened by the fading sunlight. He was a Twi’lek like her, but with dark grey skin. Her wrists stung from the bulky shackles rubbing against her skin for hours. “We’re here, now get up,” he said. His face was a mask yielding no emotion. This was business as usual. She was cargo to be transported to the sale location to the right buyer at the right price. Arruna struggled to get to her feet after hours of being in a cramped crate with 3 other females. One of them mouthed words that would never be heard, a silent prayer for safety. She did not know these captives but she knew they all shared the same fate. Ekaim pulled the long iron chain connecting them all. “We have an appointment to make and not much time.” His long robe caught the wind as he turned away from them. Arruna inhaled sharply and stood to lead the other scared Twi’lek women at the edge of the transport vehicle. Ekaim turned back and met her eyes, “Be a good girl now.” She stepped off the edge…
“Hey! You in there or what?” Arruna felt someone nudging her from wherever she was laying. It felt like a furry paw with claws poking her in the side. Grashk?
“Are you fucking kidding me Jin?!” She sat up quickly.
“Don’t yell at me because you were the one not waking up from the stupid transport gas like the rest of us! The pilot dumped us off twenty minutes ago and Grashk had to carry you like a sack of potatoes.”
He let out a breath in frustration and pointed to the Wookiee standing beside him. The Wookiee shrugged and gurgled. “Sorry sleeping gas gives me, uh, weird dreams. So where are we anyways?” Arruna scanned the surroundings with squinted eyes. Jin held out a hand to help her up from the dusty ground. He winked at her, “A smuggler’s dream, Formos.”
The landscape was desolate, with little life to find nearby. Over the dark orange hills was what appeared to be a spaceport with adjoining bazaar and cantina. The group headed towards civilization.
“The transport pilot dumped us off two thousand paces north,” Arruna realized it was the blonde woman speaking to her. The woman kept her face forward as they walked towards the spaceport’s cantina.
“Your name…?”
“My name is Keva.” She remained moving at a brisk pace even in the heat.
“Oh, right. I thought I heard you say something right before the gas put me out back there.”
“You squirm a lot when you sleep.”
“I, uh, excuse me?” She rubbed the side of her lekku where it had been pressed against the transport seat. Before she could finish her thought, Keva and Jin went through the doorway to Tallav’s Cantina. Grashk followed shortly behind them.
Inside the cantina was cool and buzzing with voices. The bar was just a few tables away on their right side and a band played on the small stage. A few strangers checked the group out as they meandered past to an open table. Jin chose one on the far end of the big room with a clear path to the bar. They assembled themselves into the booth one by one, Jin filed in last.
“I think I’m gunna go grab a drink at the bar, you guys want anything?” it was clear he was offering out of politeness to his recently acquired squadron.
Arruna peered past him at the menu nailed to the wall. “No thanks.”
Grashk looked as though he was more interested in surveying the local riffraff at the tables nearby. A Twi’lek couple and a protocol droid sat adjacent to their table. The table on the other side was just as harmless looking. He only grunted.
Keva scooted herself out of the booth, “I will just go with you.” As Jin and Keva walked away, Grashk settled into his seat a bit more. “I am weary of Outer Rim strangers, so this is a strange situation to be thrown into. That Keva woman is strange. She does not smell right.”
“Jin mentioned the same thing, well not the smelling thing, but that something was off in general.” Arruna’s eyes followed Jin and Keva’s path through the tables. “I suppose we will just have to wait and see what information we can get out of her.”
Grashk nodded, “When you were still asleep, I carried you for a while before Jin insisted on trying to wake you. You know him from outside of that jail cell?”
Arruna laughed, “Hardly! He tried to pick up on me at the bar in Chulman’s and there was an altercation with a Trandoshan. Keva was there actually…she tried to pick the lizard up. Some people overestimate their strength.”
“I see,” grumbled the Wookiee, “that is not a feat many would attempt.” The booth was curved so that one could see out but still maintain a sense of privacy.
He watched Keva standing by the bar and lowered his voice, “She tried to buy a ship.”
“When was this?” Arruna cocked her head to the side. “When I was being carried?”
“Yes, a Toydarian by the name of Ortto flew up right after the transport dropped us. He wanted seventy thousand credits for a beat up looking clunker. She kept negotiating down but it was no good. None of us have that kind of credit available to us.”
“Wow, that is seriously out of our price range but if it was damaged I could fix it up with some help.” Arruna knew she wasn’t of much use in hand-to-hand combat but she could handle ships and droids. Work as an outlaw technician tended to be a lot of odd jobs like fixing up an old droid or repairing a blown out speeder. The only way to survive in the Outer Rim was to make yourself useful or make yourself scarce. If you can’t handle the fire, get away from the flame.
A few minutes later, Jin and Keva had rejoined the table and a pair of strangers approached the booth. A human man wearing a dirty green cloak stood in front of a Wookiee. His black boots were the cleanest article of clothing he wore. Keva placed her hand on one of her vibroknives in anticipation. Jin glanced at Grashk.
“Friends! You’ve made it!” the man exclaimed, a charismatic smile lighting his face. Arruna was taken aback by his casual demeanor. Who is this guy?
The ragtag group made their way out of the cramped cell and into the hallway. The tall silver droid whistled loudly, creating an echo in the corridor. He stopped short and tapped on a door to their left, “get yer’ crap while I make a call then we’re outta here.” He swung the door open and continued whistling. The Wookiee made an irritated grunt as B3ND34 disappeared into a small office on the right side of the corridor. The guards pointed to a wall of cubbies with boxes of prisoners’ belongings.
“True. So we should try to make introductions with the Wookiee and the woman from Chulman’s.” Jin raised an eyebrow and turned towards her, placing his gear back into his utility belt. “Speaking of, do you think there’s something weird about the blonde?”
“Besides the fact that she doesn’t use contractions. Yes, something is off but I can’t figure out what it is exactly.” Arruna glanced over her shoulder at the women across the room. She was already done sorting through the boxes of goods and weapons taken at the time of arrest. “Are you missing any credits?”
Jin shook his box upside-down. “Hey Wookiee, you missing any credits?” The Wookiee glared at him, “My name is Grashk, not ‘Wookiee’ human, but yes I seem to be missing at least forty credits.” Arruna sighed, “Well that makes two of us.” Fantastic.
B3ND34’s whistling returned as the doors burst open behind them. “Done makin calls, let’s get outta this shit hole!” The blonde woman pulled her cloak’s hood back over her head, looking ready to bolt at any time. Grashk tossed his bowcaster over his back and adjusted the strap of its carrying case. Arruna noticed a flash of jealousy in Jin’s eyes as he watched Grashk walk in front of him. “Now that’s a real weapon!”
Arruna had never seen a bowcaster in person before, but she had certainly heard it mentioned in old war stories. Jin peered back at her and pointed excitedly at it, “I haven’t seen one of those in years! Man, can they blow a hole in an enemy. I used to know this guy who modded his bowcaster to shoot pure energy. Of course he was a Wookiee too because they don’t just go handing them out to random soldiers.”
Arruna rolled her eyes and laughed. He continued on about the fire range and its power capabilities. Grashk stopped mid-step to make Jin run into the back of him.
“This is my bowcaster and you would be smart to stop droning on and on about it in a public place like this,” a growl escaped between his words, “human.”
The group had come out of the jail and into a busy open-air market on the surface. The two guards had stayed behind at the entrance of the jailhouse, leaving B3ND34 to lead them. The sand blew in the wind, indicating an approaching sandstorm from the east. They needed to take shelter soon or head to a transport, Arruna squinted to keep the dust from her eyes. The group walked like ducks in a line with the droid as their mother. After making it through the crowded bazaar, B3ND34 presented them with an off-planet transport. He declined to tell them much about their destination or the job.
“Just get on an’ don’t worry ‘bout it tentacle head! Just stay together an’ you guys’ll be fine. Now if you’ll excuse me I don’ wanna get sandblasted today…” He waved at the transport driver to close up the ramp and take off.
Each of them buckled into the dirty looking seats against each side of the vehicle’s walls. Grashk and Arruna sat on the left side while Jin and the woman sat on the right. Gas began seeping in from over the seats. Arruna looked at the blonde woman’s unchanging face. “This is normal for long distances. To prevent passenger discomfort.”
Arruna was surprised to get any explanation from the woman who had up until now said absolutely nothing to her. She began drifting off as the transport engines rumbled to life. Just as her head hit the back of her seat, Arruna heard the woman murmur something more. “….name is Keva.” Then everything went black and the vehicle pulled forward.
Below the hot sands of Tatooine, the stench of the old jail cell festered. The obvious problem was that there were too many people in one cell, while the other three were completely empty. The smell of Wookie really wasn’t helping anything. The room was a giant rectangle sliced at the corners to form cells. There were two entrances, one at each end of the hallway. The steel doors at the north end were framed by two bulky humans, lightly armored but heavily armed. One looked like he had been at the cantina all night, red-rimmed eyes betraying his bad habits. The other guard took his job far more seriously. One of the other inmates, a blonde woman, appeared to be looking to coerce him into releasing her. Despite her whispers, he remained stoic at his post.
“I need to stop hanging out at bars,” she quietly lamented. Jin glanced up from where he had been sitting for the last hour, “Did you say something?” Arruna gave him a sidelong glare and no reply. It was his fault she was locked in this cell in the first place. She had been sitting at the bar, enjoying the local music until he sat down and began his attempt at cantina romance. Cantinas are diverse and Jin’Ra had missed the memo. On what planet is it ever ok to make the statement, “I’ve never done a blue girl”? Yes, she is blue. Twi’leks came in all sorts of colors, a fact that made them stick out like sore thumbs in public. This often led to catcalls, staring children, and unwelcome advances. Most famous Twi’lek women were entertainers or slaves, or both. It wasn’t uncommon for Arruna to be mistaken for a prostitute when she hung around places like Chalmun’s Cantina but she didn’t feel that was what Jin was thinking. Rather she believed he had just never seen a Twi’lek before.
When he asked where she was from, she had been polite and explained her Twi’lek heritage and a few points of interest on Ryloth. Her mind had wandered back to her home planet and her old life, still pressing against her psychy. Her family, the crystal trees in the summer, the bitterness of blood. Nonetheless he began referring to her as a “twilight” and bought her a drink. At least she chose an expensive one. If she was to tolerate his stupidity, he would just have to pay for it.
Before he had a chance to embarrass himself further, Jin had the misfortune of being pursued by a gay Trandoshan. He turned down a drink for a punch to the jaw. Their altercation was amusing at first, but quickly spun out of control. A cloaked woman tried to intervene but failed because of the Trandoshan’s 200 pound advantage. I can’t believe she tried to pick that thing up. Local guards were called in by this point and were able to haul off the angry Trandoshan.
Arruna had remained at the bar during the fight, but when the guards tried to take Jin’s brass knuckles, she argued for him. This was not likely to be the only fight this fool got into while on Tatooine, and those tacky chunks of metal appeared to be his only weapon. Knowing a few galactic laws was convenient for more than trivia competitions, some days it saved your ass from a cell. Unfortunately for Arruna, it was not one of those days. The Trandoshan had barreled back into Chalmun’s with fire in his eyes. Feet scrambling to get out of the way, Jin had leapt out of the way just in time for the irate lizard to plow her into the wall. And now we’re here, she thought.
Jin, the cloaked woman, and Arruna were charged with disorderly conduct and sent to sit in this rotten cell until someone paid their bail. The cloaked woman appeared restless in the corner, trying to coerce the hungover sentinel to no avail while Jin paced incessantly. He groaned every few minutes, driving her up the wall. The sooner she escaped him, the better. There Arruna sat beside a large black Wookiee on the wooden bench. He took up most of the seat, so there was no way to lay down and sleep while she waited. Regardless, she shut her eyes for a few moments.
A distant clanking echoed from another room, like metal on stone. Someone was coming, Arruna’s yellow eyes flicked open. The Wookie glanced down at her and then to the door. He tilted his black haired head and breathed in whatever scent he could catch. Arruna looked around at her cellmates expectantly. They had heard it too, and had gotten up to stand at the cold bars holding them in the small space. A screech reverberated through the long room as the door opened. A six foot tall silver droid strode in beside two more jail guards. The dim lighting from a dying bulb flickered at the other end of the hall between the cells. Arruna noticed the blonde woman give the droid a harsh up-and-down. A low growl came from the Wookiee’s throat.
“Ey I’m B-3-N-D-3-4,” said the droid. His eyes glowed brightly and a small puff of smoke escaped his head. Can droids even smoke? “I’ve gotta’ offer for you guys in here but it’s only good if all e’ you take it. What do ya say?”
The Wookiee raised an eyebrow, “Well what’s the job?” B3ND34’s lit eyes blinked, “You don’ need to know that kinda thing yet.”
The cloaked woman pulled back her hood and stared up at the ceiling then down at the guards. “I will do it.”
If it gets me out of this cell…. Arruna stepped towards the woman, “I’m in.” The woman pushed her blonde hair back into a knot and continued to stare down the silver droid. Arruna felt that this was going to be a gamble, and the blonde’s intensity only made it worse. There was something off about this human woman but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She held her breathe for a moment as the Wookiee and Jin made their decision. The only way out of their jail cell was to cooperate with a strange droid. This was happening. With a turn of the guard’s key, they were out.
