Oh captain, my captain! (Ushutwasho's back story)
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Those words kept repeating in my head like a throbbing pain. It would seem as if I had heard them yesterday, but I remind myself it has been years. I guess it’s something you remember if it’s your friend's dying words. The heat of Jakku greets us as it normally does. “Get ready squirt!” grunts the first mate.
I hate being called that. “Try not to call me that, I am not eight anymore.” I retorted calmly.
“I will when you start pulling your weight around here” says the first oaf.
“After all I have done for you guys? You wouldn’t have gotten past the last checkpoint if it wasn’t for the clearance badge I lifted from our last stop!”
I was making my point. I don’t why because it never gets through that thick skull of his. “One day you will appreciate my skills, I just hope it won’t be too late when you do. That would be a shame... wouldn’t it?”
“Are you threatening me squirt? Because I would love for you to something about it. Or is it just talk like always?” He drooled a bit when he spoke. Gross.
“No, not all Frung! I was just emotionally preparing myself to deal with the idea of you being in a bad way. I don’t think my beautiful red face could take it.” I put on the most sad face I could conjure.
After I woke up from being punched, I discover I was only unconscious for a few minutes. I wipe the blood off my cheek, realizing that was a new record. What was the record I set again? The number of times being punched or waking up unconscious sooner than I thought? Both?
The cargo bay door opened and a mixture of sand and wind rushes in. I quickly grab my goggles and put them on fast enough to not get my eyeys blasted with the sand. Apparently, we are hiding in a canyon. Which leads me to believe we might be dealing with a more shady client than I thought.
“Hey! Bantha Fodder! Go scout out our rendezvous. It’s in the south district by the last alley we met at with our last job.”
I paused, raised my hand to my brow as if looking in the distance. “Alright! I just did. It’s not safe. We should change our rendezvous to somewhere that doesn’t suck.” I immediately say.
“GO!” Shouted Frung.
I jump on our junky speeder bike and drive out into the desert. I have to keep turning left a bit to keep it straight. I let out a deep sigh through my bandana covering my mouth. “ It’s too hot.”
I really hate this planet. It reminds me too much of my home planet. I have visited there a few times before. It’s just like here. Devoid of hope, resources, and clean faces.
Why am I here?
Why am I doing this?
I finally arrived and decided that since I am an adult, an adult needs a drink after wrestling with a decrepit speeder bike for almost an hour. I noticed this really tiny bar in an adjacent alley where Frung will meet. The curtain door hardly disguises the place, so I figure it might not be too bad. I go in and it is smaller than I expected.
No music, no dancers, just a small bar a few tables and low hanging heads. “Finally! I found my happy place!” I whispered. Even I didn’t think that was funny. I sat down in the middle of the place and ordered a drink.
As the bartender leaves I see a man walk in dressed in some type of robes. His emotionless face reminded of too many faces around here. Not in his looks, but more how he feels. I could almost sense it. He goes up to the bar and waves his hand telling the barkeep to get him a drink.
When that happens, I notice a trandoshan bounty hunter get from his chair and go toward him. His interest bought mine as he moved toward the robed man with eager eyes. This guy must be wanted by someone. I don't know why I did what I did next.
“HEY!” I shouted. The bounty hunter turns around. I get up and walk towards him. “Where’s my drink?” As I walk towards him, I trip on a chair and fall head first into his chest. It hurt because a grenade smashed my face a bit and my skin is beautifully soft. As I notice the grenade fall to the floor and was blinking, I quickly said, “You are the ugliest prostitute I have ever seen.” And I tried to kiss him.
He punched me so hard. As I flew out the curtain door, I hear an explosion and dust flies out the curtain door with me. I fall on the ground hard. I move my hands around me to check to see how bad I got hurt. I think he broke one of rib's. But I could be a tad dramatic though. As the dust settles I slowly get back up, dust off and walk back inside to see what happened. Everyone looked like they where dead. The floor had cratered in a bit and the walls were scorched. It smelled like steamed bounty hunter. Which was really an improvement on the smell before the bomb went off.
“I’m surprised the walls aren’t caving in” I said to myself. I quickly looked over to the robed man. He was not moving. I noticed he had something clipped to his belt. Maybe that was what the bounty hunter was after? As I thought that, I started to hear the rock wall crack to my right. I quickly grabbed it and ran out side and out of the alley. I watched the place collapse from a nearby rooftop.
My transponder starts to ring.
“WHERE ARE YOU SQUIRT! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK ALREADY!” I could smell his breath from here.
Then I had an idea.
“Whoops! I guess I am not coming back. But I will miss you so much Frung. I left a picture of myself in my old room if you get lonely.” I smiled.
I could hear him screaming through the transponder as I threw it into the rubble.
He was coming. I know that because the captain will want me back.
I have to act fast.
“Alright! Time for another drink. I hope the next bar doesn’t explode…”
to be continued.
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