User:Trak Nar/Delete this later

[b]Title:[/b] Dear Diary Challenge- “Recruitment Must Be Low”

[b]Author:[/b] Trak Nar

[b]Characters:[/b] Zuckuss, Toryn Farr, 4-LOM, assorted Rebels

[b]Genre:[/b] Drama and action and whatever else may crop up over the course of this entry.

[b]Recruitment Must Be Low[/b]

[b]Datapad user: Zuckuss[/b]

[b]Open word processor[/b]

[b]Entry date: 01|01|3ABY[/b]

[b]Entry language: Gand[/b]

[b]Entry mode: Written[/b]

First month, first day-

Zuckuss has joined the Rebellion.

Of all the futures he has looked to, of all the things he has seen, of all the decisions he has made over the years throughout the course of his career, he has never, not even once, foreseen this. Granted, in the past, he has done some work for the Rebellion, but he never formally joined it. Due to his contracts with the Empire, he would never do such a thing, and any work with the Rebellion was done at his own peril, lest he incur the Empire’s wrath—which he has done. But, now, here he sits, on the medical frigate, a new member of the Rebel Alliance.

Though, the tradeoff is worth it. The Rebels have given him new lungs. New lungs and a new life. All coinciding with the new galactic year. Quite the fitting time frame, yes? Perhaps it was simply time that Zuckuss considered a new path… due to his failure in the hunt, his death mark from the Nardix affair remains. He would need to hide out for a time, whether or not he was still allied with the Empire, even as they desire his blood.

Zuckuss has joined the Rebellion. He still cannot quite grasp this fact, though he was the one who decided to join. Even 4-LOM cannot grasp this. Multiple times, he has asked Zuckuss why he joined, and Zuckuss has told him; he really could see no other option. He was sick, they failed the hunt, they are now wanted by the Empire… What else are they to do? There is no going back. And the Rebels accepted them without reservation.

Of all the things he saw in the mists concerning that hunt, he did not foresee this. He did not foresee those ninety Rebels that crowded aboard his ship. For that matter… how were they able to crowd aboard? The cargo bay was full, the prisoner cells are small, and the flight deck is rather meager. Yet, ninety Rebels managed to crowd aboard. The trip to Darlyn Boda was perhaps the longest hyperspace trip that Zuckuss has ever taken. It was not the time it took or the distance, per sé, it was the fact that he had several Rebels around him, breathing on him. He could smell them, they breathed in his ear, they whispered to each other behind him. Were they talking about him? One of them kept bumping his pilot’s chair. Another spilled their drink on him! And it was hot caff, right in his lap! Zuckuss just wanted to lock himself in the bathroom for the remainder of that trip…

Something happened during that trip. He had an attack. He showed weakness to the Rebels; his former adversaries. They were surrounding him, and he had an attack. He couldn’t breathe. He felt his chest become tight, and he couldn’t breathe. The mucous rattled in his chest and throat, and he tried to cough it up. But, once he started coughing, he couldn’t stop. The coughing didn’t help; he still couldn’t breathe. He leaned over to open his chest, to force the mucous up, but it didn’t work.

4-LOM thought that there was an oxygen leak, and one of the Rebels, Commander Toryn Farr, tried to help him. She sent for the medical droid. But, the ship was so full! It was hard to maneuver throughout the ship, because there were so many Rebels! It felt like hours. It hurt to cough. Zuckuss couldn’t breathe and he could do nothing about it. Eventually, he did stop coughing. By the time the medical droid got to him, he had stopped. His chest hurt, he was very tired. And he was ashamed as he had shown weakness in front of the Rebels. One shouldn’t show weakness. Zuckuss worked very hard to hide his injuries; to hide his weakness. But, now he was exposed. They saw it. They saw him have an attack. First impressions, and he has revealed himself to be sickly. There was nothing he could do then to change that image.

Though, Zuckuss had noticed that Toryn Farr had started to act differently around him. When he had his attack, she put her arms around him. Once they got to Darlyn Boda, and Zuckuss took ill in one of his ship’s prisoner cells, Toryn checked on him and spent time with him. And after they regrouped with the fleet, and after Zuckuss was taken to sick bay, Toryn visited him. She arranged to have her awards ceremony held in sick bay, so that Zuckuss could attend. And after he woke up after his operation, he saw that Toryn was at his bedside. Toryn has since visited him and spent time with him multiple times.

Zuckuss cannot help but wonder… does Toryn like him? Toryn talks to him, is friendly with him, has hugged him… does she like him? Zuckuss is confused. Toryn has explicitly stated that Zuckuss would be a member of the Special Forces unit that she would be commanding. It is as if that Toryn is making sure that Zuckuss is always within her reach. Does she like him? Should he ask?

But, Zuckuss is now a Rebel. Wouldn’t such feelings interfere with his duties? Zuckuss still cannot quite grasp this; he has joined the Rebellion. What if his other employers find out? How will this affect his contracts? Should he mention this to his clients? Would that prevent him from getting other jobs? Most certainly it would be a problem with Imperial bounties! But, he needs to stay away from the Empire for a while; at least until things calm and his death warrant isn’t so high priority.

He still cannot believe it. Zuckuss has joined the Rebellion.

[b]Document saved[/b]

[b]Close word processor[/b]

[b]Logout user: Zuckuss[/b]