User blog:Aryn Tarra/No Chains Too Tight- Chapter 2

Authors Note
This chapter was actually the first part of this book written, as my best friend didn't know what her character, Serinii Dawn, looked like or what age she was before I wrote this. So, with Serinii out of the way, Skitch continues on with her escape and travels into a cantina, only to meet a Mandalorian with a ship, money, food, and hope for a new life.

Chapter 2
‘Ser would have loved this.’ I mused as I ran off of the landing platform. Suddenly, my boot slipped, and I fell on the sand of this new planet, my outfit jingling from the touch of metal to earth. I stood up, cautiously. This was not the outfit that I needed to be wearing on a slime-digger planet like this.

I brushed the sand off of my silver bottom piece. Immediately, I tried to explore my options. “Let me see,” I looked around at the tan-colored domes that filled up this waste-landed planet’s surface. Suddenly, I had an idea. I ran over to where a large garbage dumpster stood, reeking with the stench of old Dewback mess and spent canisters of Death Sticks.

I pinched my nose to keep from being nauseous and jumped in, chucking out of the trash can whatever could be used as an outfit. There wasn’t much there, but I tried not to be disappointed. There were other places I could buy or steal clothes.

I changed out of the bottom piece first. Peeling off the hard metal, I slipped into a pair of loose and large pants that were black. They smelled horrible, but I figured that I would need to stink horribly if I wanted to fit in on this force-forsaken planet.

I still had on my metal top piece that Skyc had dressed me in just a couple of weeks ago for the sale day. Bib Fortuna had been there, and it was his wish that I would sell to him. I had been lucky. Serinii Dawn, one of my dearest friends, was almost sold to a one-eyed Changrian that had examined her closely. We had both been lucky.

Odd as it may have looked, the metal piece fit well and I decided to keep it on. For now, anyways. I looked over at a huge, hairy Silonian that was walking by at a slow pace. He wore a baggy, brown tunic and had a black strip of cloth tied around his waist that served as a belt. But that wasn’t what I had noticed first. It was the large, bulging sack of money tied to his waist.

I licked my lips at the thought of ‘borrowing’ a few credits from this obviously well to do character. I started walking behind him. He looked over his shoulder, as if noticing that there was someone there, but kept up the quick pace anyways.

I trotted up next to him and then pretended to trip on my own feet. I fell, hitting the sand as hard as I could for dramatic effect. He stopped walking and bent down to help me up. “Are you alright pateesha?” Using the Ryl word for sweetheart, he picked me up and put me on my feet. “I am so sorry…”

I got off of the sand and then smiled at him, sneaking my hand into his bag. “Thanks, and yes, I am fine.” I was standing a little to his left, and practically leaning on his right arm. He nodded and walked off, and I pulled my hand back to see that it was filled with credit chips. “Finally.”

I sighed and then lined up all of the credits in my hand. “Twenty… nine.” I nodded and then entered a small clothing shop. “That should do the trick.” A Togrutan stood behind the front desk, keeping his eyes fixed on the computer in front of him. He didn’t even look up as I entered the room.

I pretended to glance around at the clothes and shoes, and then spotted exactly what I needed. There, with the sun shining on them from the bright light of Tatooine’s twin suns, was a pair of heels. They were made from thatch and brown cord, and looked to be just about my size. Taking off my boots, I sat down in a chair and tried on the high-heeled pumps. They fit perfectly.

I stood up and walked around in them, enjoying the feel of a good pair of shoes. All that I had ever worn for as long as I could remember was a horrid pair of brown, itchy boots that my slave master, S’cyck, had made me wear for dancing. I walked up to the Togrutan at the desk and asked if a trade was acceptable. He looked me up and down and smiled. “What are you doing away from your Master, little twi’lek. Have you lost your way?”

“I am not owned by anybody!” I raised my voice and stomped my foot on the ground. “I am not a slave!”

He shook his head and smiled at me. “No Lethan, female twi’lek, on Tatooine, is a freebeing.” Standing up and patting my head, softly, he continued. “That and you are missing a headset, little one.” He walked around the counter and examined his wares. Pulling out a black twi’lek traditional head cover, he placed it on my head.

“It will cost you your old shoes for the heels, and 20 for your freedom.” He sat back down in his seat behind the computer. “I can appreciate pluckiness.” I buckled the headset under my chin. It felt like it had always belonged there. I admired my reflection in a mirror. It was black, with three jutting triangles that curved at the edges. They cut upwards from my head, looking, I must say, quite stunning.

I put 20 republic credits down onto the table. “Thank you.” He had been speaking in Huttese, but I had learned that language from S’cyck after the time I spent on Byss. My thoughts drifted back to Serinii as I left the shop. Where was she? Was she safe?

I then realized I was starving. I had gotten my food stolen by a Quarren two days ago at feeding time, and had little to eat past then. My feet directed me to a cantina that smelled wonderful. I inhaled the pleasant aroma of cooked Mazer, Rycrit, and Nerf. I picked up the pace and entered the dome.

My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings. I had never seen such a gaggle of scum and villains in my whole life! I looked around, nervously, suddenly fearing for my safety. I sat down at a seemingly empty booth and moved in, bumping into the patron that had already occupied that seat.

He was tall, had black hair, and deep brown eyes. He wore a black shirt and brown pants with shiny, navy boots with metal tips and an odd insignia at the top of them. I noticed that he also had a silver ear piercing on his left ear that made you notice how muscular he truly was. The smell of what he was eating was overpowering.

I looked away from his piercing gaze, pretending to study the table. He shrugged and went back to his meal. Undaunted, I moved a little bit closer to where he sat. He glanced over at me, studied my outfit, and then continued eating.

I edged closer. This time he tapped me on the shoulder and smiled, warmly. “Do you need anything, little girl?” I turned to face him and then averted my eyes to the floor. The sweet aroma of his food was intoxicating me. “Lost your way?”

“No!” I corrected him quickly and then faced him. “I mean… I am hungry.”

“Do you have any money for food, young slave?” He scraped his fork on his plate, and then set it down. His plate was still full of a good meal.

‘Slave.’ The word rung in my lekku like a rotten memory of the past. “I am not a slave.”

He yawned and scratched his arm, nonchalantly. “Suit yourself.”

“I am a free person in search of work.” I went to adjust my headset, but my wrist bumped my eyebrow. I winced. My head was still sore from when S’cyck had tattooed them on a few days ago.

“Maybe I could help.” He pushed the plate full of food in front of me and passed me his fork. “What kind of work?”

I couldn’t answer. I had dug into his food so quickly and happily that my mouth was full of the Rycrit meat faster than a Blurrg could blink. I smiled, sheepishly, and held up my finger. “Well,” He laughed, happily, “maybe I should go first, then.”

“I own a ship called the Freeskyer’s Joy that I need a little help running. My first mate, a young deck hand called Tali, just got arrested last Taungsday by the seccers as a glitbiter.” He paused, and then added, “She was a glitbiter.” I blinked, unknowingly. I had no idea what a glitbiter or a seccer was. “Name’s Cax Kamm.” He stuck out his hand, but I wasn’t expecting it. The only time anyone ever stuck their hand out at me was when they were going to hit me. I jumped back in shock and covered my head with my hands.

“I didn’t- oh, sorry.” I smiled, awkwardly and shook his hand.

He cocked his head at me and then continued. “See, I am a deep spacer. Smuggler and pirate, as far as anyone’s concerned. I can give you a decent job, with three square meals a day, and a place to sleep if you come and work for me. But I need to know one thing.”

I swallowed my humongous bite and looked up at him again. “What is your name?”

I shook my head and went back to eating. “I don’t have one.” I stopped, and then decided that maybe he was trustworthy enough. “I mean, my old master would just call me Skitch…”

“So you were a slave.” He nodded at me, again. “Do you like that name?”

“I hate it with all my heart.”

“How about I call you…” He studied around the room, trying to come up with something that was there. I continued eating, feeling better all the time. “Umm…” Cax looked up at a sign that hung above the bar. It read- A SALE ON KALEESH DAR GRUB.

I ignored him, stuffing my face with the best food I had ever tasted. “Asale Dar… ya.” I met eyes with him again, holding my hand over my mouth to prevent food from spilling out. "Asale Darya?"

“That’s okay by me.” I tried to smile, but then had to finish my bite. He stood up, abruptly, walked over to the bar and then tossed the tender a coin.

“Keep the change.” He smiled and walked back over to the table. “Lets go.” I was still hungry, but after all that he had done for me thus far, I figured that it was rude to resist. I went to stand up as a huge trandoshan walked into the cantina. “Lets go NOW.” He took my arm and tried to push me out the door, but I tripped on the Trandoshan with my large heels.

“Frakk…” I mumbled a twi’lek curse and caught myself.

“Hakk Gouge…” He grabbed Cax by the neck and threw him to the ground. I got up and took a step backwards. “Kamm e’tt Jetar madle!”

“Cax?”

The Trandoshan threw himself on top of Kamm, and then started punching him with his scaly wrists. “Cax!” I shouted and then ran over to where he was being smothered. Cax tossed me his small pistol and ordered me the single most told command in the history of the galaxy.

“SHOOT!” The whole cantina stopped moving.

I handled the gun, rather uneasily. I had never shot anything before…

“SHOOT, DI’KUT!”

I didn’t know what di’kut meant, but I am sure it was something awful. Raising the pistol and looking away, I aimed for the Trandoshan’s back.

BLAM!

The huge, ugly lizard shuddered and stopped moving. I stopped moving, too. Cax pushed the grisly carcass off of him and brushed himself off. The music in the cantina continued and the people kept on talking. Apparently this type of skirmish was everyday fare.

“Thanks for the help, Asale.” He snatched the pistol from my hands and rubbed his cheek where the Trandoshan had left a mark. “I cannot believe Xennex found me here…” He mumbled to himself as he walked out of the cantina, leaving the tender to pick up the mess.

“Hey, wait!” I ran off after him, trying to keep up. “What is a di’kut?” I asked him, earnestly.

“It’s a special term in my language that means idiot.” I stopped looking at him and lowered my gaze to the ground.

“Oh.” I frowned. “Sorry.”

“No… I am sorry.” He looked down at me, knowingly. I only stood as tall as his elbow. “I didn’t mean to call you that, can you forgive me?”

Forgive him!? I had been called much worse than that as a slave and gotten away with it. “Of course I forgive you.” I smiled up at him. “If calling me a di’kut is the worst you can do, I figure this spacer business has a lot in store for me!”

“Asale… you have no idea.” He led me across the street and into a haven where numerous starships were parked. He walked forward to a box-like ship that had the words ‘Freeskyer’s Joy’ in Aurebesh written on it. I stepped closer and ran my hand down the side of the huge ship.

It was big enough to be a house! I mean, not that I had seen any houses, or ever lived in one for longer than a few days, but it was huge! I looked over at Cax. “This is yours!?”

“Yep… she’s my baby.” He spit on his hand and polished a spot off of its metal hull.

“You mean I get to work with you on this thing?” I was honestly impressed. I had never seen a ship so big.

Cax smiled at me, his white teeth flashing. “As much as you want to.” I took a step backwards as Cax pushed a button to make the dock open. “Ladies first,” He motioned to the door.

I stepped inside and then looked around. The entire inside was black, with the exception of the white booth that sat at a table in the corner. Next to it was the engine room, and beside that there was a closed door. I turned and almost ran into the console. Next to the main operators seat, there was an open cockpit that had a huge gun that hung outside of the ship.

“You have much to learn, Asale.” He reminded me.

“What’s behind the closed door?” I asked him, placing my hand on the doorknob.

“Tali’s old quarters, and mine.” He placed his large, rough hand over mine and turned the handle for me.

“Come in, we live together now.” I entered the bedroom and sat down on one of the old beds. It was the softest I had ever felt.

A tear trickled down my soft face as I remembered Serinii, my best friend that had stayed at the slavers mercy. Cax sat down on the floor next to me. “Is something wrong?” He asked, gently.

“No… I was just remembering someone.”

“That sounds like a yes to me.” He looked up at me, trying to see what was wrong. “Who was it?”

“One of my friends, Serinii… when she cut me loose, I ran without her.” I paused, wiping a tear away from my face. “She wanted to stay so that I could go free. But I don’t have a reason to leave… she had a purpose. A goal.” Another tear fell onto the bed. “What am I here for… my own good? Her hope was to become a Jedi. To help others.”

Cax stood up, rather abruptly, and opened a small closet that was near the door. “Jedi.” He spat on the floor of his own ship. “Jedi are a waste of a good life.”

“Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy!” I retorted, aghast at his claim. “They do everything for others gain, not their own!”

“And where were your precious Jedi when your friend was being beaten?” He roared at me. “Where was a guardian when you were being hurt?”

I sighed and stared at the floor again. “I… I,” he pulled out a suit of armor that was inside of the closet. “I don’t know.”

“Exactly.” He held up the armor, proudly. “And you never will know where they were. This-“ He began to strap on the metal plates, “Is a mark of honor. Mandalorian Armor.” He placed a blue and gray colored breast piece on his chest. “Even your pathetic Jedi saber’s cannot cut through our metal.”

I turned away from him, and the tears stopped flowing. Maybe he was right. But Serinii… she wasn’t wrong. “Hey.” He called to me. I saw his reflection on the metal wall in front of me.

“Blue and grey.” He smiled. “My clan’s honor.” I whirled and took in the sight of his armor. I didn’t know what to say.

“It looks… almost new.”

“It is.” Kamm walked to the front of the ship, and I ran to follow him. “I left the clan when I was old enough to. I never saw a battle.” I didn’t quite know what that meant, but it sounded like desertion. I figured that there was no reason to make him mad, because he was giving me a bed, food, and a decent living so far. I wished Serinii had as much. “I will go back one day, though. Tell my family what became of me.” He looked out the window, staring at the sand.

I sat down in a front seat and looked at the controls. “So, are you going to teach me to pilot this thing?” I broke the silence.

“Yes, but you don’t pilot in the gunners seat. I can teach you how to be my assistant.” He led me to the co-pilot’s spot. “Start here.” He leaned over my shoulder and pressed a red button. “This is the ignition…”

I took in every word that he said, but it seemed like there was never a lack of things to learn on that ship! Later that day, he took me out for a test flight, and we slept that night under a blanket of stars, gazing at other galaxies in the distant and spotting other planets. I couldn’t hope for a better life. But then again… maybe it was too good to be true.

Closing Tag
Like it? Enjoyed Cax's language and Asale's new name? Tell me what you think, because I love to hear from people!