Smuggler's Tales
CHAPTER 1
Reunion
The firelight was thrown around the one-room home, casting shadows that seemed to dance to an unheard melody. The crackling of the elm wood broke the silence every so often. A dark figure shifted in his seat. It was harder to get comfortable these days - time had worn out his still large frame. Wrinkles replaced once smooth stubble-filled skin on an old man's face. His former dark brown neatly trimmed shoulder length hair now replaced with unkempt graying mess of a head. The length still the same but the luster was now no more. What had long ago been a shiny, new state-of-art cybernetic right arm now gave weigh to a rusting, barely functioning, glorified wearable antiquity. Battle damaged and all but obsolete, it was more of a reminder of days of yore then useful. Still, it seemed to serve it's masters purpose. The old electronic right eye, however, had not faired so lucky. Now rather then being able to see the top of a pin from nearly a mile away, an empty cavity sat, covered by a patch made of Rangkor skin. Which, he would tell you, wasn't easy to come by...no sir!
His good eye shifted in the darkness, searching. Resting upon a small box on a table near the fire, his lips gave a slightly noticeable smile. With a sound that could only be described as a grunt he raised himself up from his resting place and walked over to the table. His hands gently picked up the box he had been eyeing. He looked admirably at the name etched into the top. The fingers of his left hand ran along the carved letters that spelled out 'Trayshen Killian'. He remembered fondly how he'd received this carefully thought out gift. It had been given to him for saving someone's life...many years ago. Now, several years later, it held several precious items; one being tea leaves from Endor. Very rare and very rich and flavorful, he retrieved a few from a small container located in the box. He placed them in a spherical mesh ball and set them down. He hobbled over to the cupboard and grabbed a metal pot, poured water in it and set it upon the fire. Then, reusing the same grunt, he plopped his tall frame back into his favorite chair by the fire and waited.
The silence, broken by small pops here and there from the fresh sap in the burning firewood, was soothing to Trayshen. He glanced at a piece of what appeared to most as scrap metal hanging on the wall, just over the hearth of the fireplace. In faint letters, barely visible in the firelight, he could just make out the letters ' t'. His thoughts drifted ever so slightly to old companions - some pleasant, some not. He began to wonder if she even still - suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a faint 'snap' coming from the woods outside his home. Quicker than even he thought possible he sprang up and with two gigantic steps lunged towards the front window, nearest the door. He glanced outside into the dark, moonlit sky - and cursed that his cyber eye wasn't there. It wouldn't have taken any effort before to scan the horizon for heat signatures, radio waves, or infrared. Now, only relying on intuition and "gut" feelings, Trayshen felt rather helpless. Still, not fully unprepared, he grabbed an old blaster in his left hand and with a few short circuits and sparks flying, his 2 more-dull-than-sharp serrated blades protruded from his cybernetic arm. Slowly he opened the heavy oak door and took a peek outside. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, yet feeling as if he was being stalked, he swung the door open and bolted outside.
Briannah MacCailein just left the town limits at dusk. Her Amber eyes glanced back only briefly searching for anyone who may be trailing her path. The tree she hid behind provided rough support against her side. Sliding back behind the tree, she took a couple of deep breaths. "He might not even be here." She thought almost out loud, unsure of the anonymous tip from a drunken old man. She studied the woods that lay ahead of her. Hardly any of last the remaining sun shone in the cavernous forest. Still, she resumed her quest. She is not prone to imaginary boogie monsters, but these woods do feel... uneasy or yet foreboding. (Hmm, calm down old girl. Don't go girly on me now.)
Her feeling maybe it's just at her age she'd learned a thing or two or the fact more missions she could count trained her to heightened sense of alert. She would not be careless, but maybe a bit hastier would be in order. The trees were large and the roots were well above ground. So hasty was slow at best. It seemed to her that the woods had become endless. No light, hmm no noise, nothing. Finally her eyes had grown accustomed to the terminal darkness. Interesting.
"Ok Bri, stay alert."
The 'trail' was tough going. She continued for what seemed like hours until a clearing opened. The stars were welcomed little lights in an otherwise abysmal black.
She sat down on the nearest root to catch her breath. As she was gazing at the stars, a smell hit her nose. The smoke was gently wafting on what little breeze there was. She picked up the trail and followed it. Cautiously now, she knew how to be sneaky. Some had even called her too silent. The trees provided cover as she silently moved from tree to tree.
She could hear a ruckus in the distance. The same direction as the smoke. Brianna's intuition had already kicked in, as she stood behind a large tree evaluating the surrounding area. The commotion was escalating to almost hearing human interaction. As she slyly emerged from around the tree, she used the roots and trees to provide a trail to the direction of the smoke, and the noise. She heard what sounded like a door on rusty hinges thrown open and a man's footfalls on branches running in her direction!
The night air was thick with darkness and the smell of pine. His ears only heard two sounds – his heavy breathing and the faint hooting of an owl somewhere in the void of blackness surrounding him. Trying desperately to get his one eye acclimated to the darkness, Trayshen gazed intently into the forest. Though he could not see it, he knew the game trail turned pathway to his home lay beneath his thick, heavy boots. Aiming the blaster into the woods, he yelled out.
"Who's there? Show yourselves before I add to the holes you were born with!"
Quiet nothingness met his query. He stood poised, blaster and blades ready for anything. Slowly, he turned around in a circle, staring into the dark, tall trees.
"I'll give you one more chance to change your mind and reveal yourself. Otherwise…." He raised his blaster, emphasizing what would be the outcome. He stood still, straining his ears to hear every little sound.
Suddenly to his left he heard clapping.
"Very good, old man "came an intrusive voice from out of the darkness. "At least your hearing hasn't failed you….yet." From out of the shadows came a figure, close to Trayshen's height. He wore a hooded cloak, dark with what appeared to be silver inlaid in the fabric. The stranger pulled back his hood. Trayshen could barely make out his features in the moonlight. Full beard, dark eyes….and the hair. Vaguely familiar, it sat on the man's head in a single line down the middle. The sides were to the skin and smooth. He could see the man's strip of hair was fairly long, to the intruder's shoulders, down the back of his head. What was it about him that was so familiar? Trayshen's thoughts were interrupted by more of the man's talking.
"Trayshen Killian….you are every bit as, "he scanned Trayshen over "…charming as I'd heard. My father sends his regards."
Father? Who could his father possibly….he stared at the stranger's face…Tarsis. Tarsis Cannon. Old acquaintance of Trayshen's. Captain of the 'Behemoth' and the 'Behemot'. Both ships now scrap metal. Once the latter was said to be fastest ship in the galaxy– even fabled to be faster than the Millennium Falcon, or so Tarsis had once boasted. In between smuggling jobs Trayshen and a few others briefly collaborated with Tarsis "the loose" Cannon, as Trayshen had called him behind his back. That's who he was reminded of. This young punk looked the spitting image of Tarsis.
"So your Tarsis's whelp?" Trayshen questioned the man, raising his blaster towards him "Should have known by that ridiculous hair on that ugly melon."
The man sneered slightly. Slowly, from under his cloak, came the end of a rather large rifle. He threw back the remainder of the cloak, exposing the full rifle, now pointed at Trayshen.
"Tell me, old man. What part of you isn't made of cheap scrap metal? Wouldn't want to waste a shot on garbage," Caleb said as he raised the rifle higher.
"Out of respect for you father, I'll let you leave alive," stated Trayshen, unflinching in his stance.
"I'm afraid I can't offer you the same kindness," Caleb retorted, squeezing the trigger. Trayshen barely avoided the blast as he rolled to the right of his attacker and managed to fire off one shot without taking time to aim. The shot must have hit it's mark as Caleb staggered to the forest floor. Trayshen came over to the Caleb, nudged him with his foot, and when no sign of life seemed to reply, reached down and searched the young man's body. A few knives, hidden blades, thermal detonator, and various other items later, he stood back up. He surveyed his surroundings to make sure there were no other surprise guests. Stupid idiot he thought didn't even bring back up! What an insult!
After what seemed like the appropriate time, and with no reply or hint of any other trespassers, bounty hunters or otherwise difficult individuals, he decided to return to the refuge that was his home. Slowly he backed up, his back to his front door. He kept the blaster raised and pointed it straight in front of him. When his boots felt the floor boards of the front porch, he raised his feet and took the one-step up, still facing the forest. He attempted to retract his blades – one retreated back inside his arm, the other got stuck half-way.
"Racking-fracking…." He muttered as he quickly put the stuck blade against a support beam on his porch. Pushing against the beam, it clicked back into place. His gaze returned to the night in front of him. Reaching with his now disarmed appendage, he opened the front door and quickly backed inside. Once through the doorway he placed the blaster into its holster.
After taking a deep breath, Trayshen calmed himself and returned to his previous distractions. He checked the pot, now boiling over in the fire. The fire hissed and smoke bellowed as the water and flames battled each other. He quickly grabbed a thick towel and grasped the pot handle, pulling it from the fire. He sat it down on the table in front of him, on a heavy pad. Taking the mesh ball he had prepared earlier, he placed it into his favorite mug and poured the hot water over it. He sat the pot back down on the pad and let the mesh ball rest for several minutes. The aroma of the Endorian tea filled his home. It smelled sweet, yet spice-like. Both flavor and smell were quite unique to this drink, reminding Trayshen of spiced Lum. He took the mesh ball and dunked it a few more times in the now dark, cloudy water. Removing it from the mug, he placed it in a small bowl. He took the drink into his robotic right hand and brought it to his lips. Taking a healthy mouthful, he savored each drop as he swallowed. The liquid seemed to warm up his old, tired bones from the inside out. He raised the mug and took another drink.
Suddenly Trayshen felt the cold steel of a blade against his throat. He held the cup to his lips for a moment, swallowed the liquid, and kept the vessel by his mouth.
"You really shouldn't leave your front door open. It's dangerous. You never know what odd thing might happen by," a voice said from behind him as he sat in his chair.
"And I suppose, " Trayshen added "of all the odd things, you are the oddest."
"Trayshen Killian! I cannot believe you would talk to a lady that way! Especially me!" the voice replied.
"Show me a lady and I will indeed treat her with the respect she deserves," Trayshen said, slyly, as he smiled and sipped his tea.
"I finally get the drop on you, after all these years, and that's how you respond? With sarcasm and arrogance?" Briannah responded with disbelief in her voice.
"Eh hem" Trayshen replied, eyes shifted down to his right side as he nudged his head in a diagonal motion.
"What?" asked Briannah. She followed his gaze. Underneath his right arm's bent elbow she noticed his left hand, which now held a blaster aimed backwards at her.
"Son of a…" she said, surprised by this turn of events. Trayshen grinned, took another gulp of tea, and put the mug down to rest on the chairside table. He moved the blaster back to his holster.
"Care for some tea, Briannah?" he said, getting up as he walked to a cabinet.
"Of course," Briannah said with a slight giggle "smells delicious. Is it Endorian tea?"
"Indeed, it is" Replied Trayshen taking a cup from the cupboard. He took another mesh ball out, placed some tea leaves into it and sat it in the cup. Briannah placed the blade back behind her, underneath her cloak. Trayshen caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a Korian blow pipe hanging from her belt. She pulled to cloak back around her body, concealing any other novelties. He game a slight smile and kept the conversation going.
"It is good to see you after all these years, " he said, leaning against the counter, waiting for the tea to steep. "But what brings you to me after all this time?"
"To put it plainly, old man" she grinned as the words crossed her lips "I missed you. Besides, since when does Briannah MacCailein need an excuse to see an old friend?"
Trayshen laughed out loud and began dunking the mesh ball.
"You didn't happen to see my less-than-beautiful uninvited guest, did you?" He questioned, nudging his head towards the front door. He handed Briannah the cup and both walked out to the front porch. Each took a seat in some hand crafted wicker chairs Trayshen received from the Ewoks after saving them from a nasty intruder. The sun was just coming up, creating a beautiful hue on the new morning skyline
"Guest? What guest?" Briannah sheepishly responded, shifting to get comfortable in her chair.
"So you know nothing about this?" Trayshen opened his hand to reveal a poisonous dart. The same dart he had noticed protruding from Caleb Cannon's neck while searching his lifeless frame.
Briannah said nothing, sipping her tea while glancing at the plants in Trayshen's yard. Her eyes fixed on one of several Dorian Apple trees, this particular one just starting to flower. Trayshen repeated the sly smile from before and continued on.
"Don't tell me there's some grand adventure you want me to go on, is there? I'm afraid my pirating days are long behind me and, " he said, lifting his right arm "things aint' what they used to be."
"Nonsense, "she exclaimed "You are every bit as ornery as ever and I'll just bet you could show those young bucks a thing or three." They both laughed and looked at each other. Each had memories flash before their eyes of past endeavors….most not the smartest choices they'd made with their lives. Still, neither seemed to have any regrets or hold grudges. Both were beyond that now. Too experienced to let those things drag them down and too old to care.
"Ornery? Ha!" replied Trayshen sitting up and leaning towards Briannah. "I'm not the one who nearly caused us to die on Hoth! Remember?"
"As I recall, "she stated as she continued sipping her cup of Endorian tea. "That is not entirely correct."
"No?" he laughed as they both sat down "Why don't you indulge me then?"
"Ok, " she smiled as she took a sip of tea "I will. Let's see….where do I begin. Oh yes…"
CHAPTER 2
Hoth and Bothered
Two figures trudged along through the drifting snow in the sub-zero freezing climate. The last 3 hours had been rough going. The only discernable direction was from the compass she kept tight in her fist. She frequently checked it to make sure they were still going in the correct direction. Briannah's companion was moving slowly, more from the freezing metal parts, than the actual almost blizzard like elements. Still they continued to the heading to warmth, and civilization.
"I hate snow," Bri murmured to herself. "Nothing good about it."
The parka was made for such abrasive climate, as well as the snow goggles and the boots. But they were bulky and restricting. Just when she was going to complain again, there was a flash on the compass indicating that their destination was almost upon them. She signaled to Trayshen that the town was nearby... finally. As they entered what appeared to be a little more than a miners town, they both felt a small relief that indeed they had not gotten themselves lost or froze to death to make this trek. They surveyed the town and Trayshen motioned to what appeared to be a thin light beaconing at them to enter. Briannah had no desire to start something this very second. She wanted to at least warm her hands then she could at least pull her blaster and be able to squeeze the trigger at her will. Trayshen was agitated with her, wanting to achieve the mission and get off of this frozen version of hell. He had no problems pulling any weapon and using it just let him get inside! His good friend and bounty partner had more than once annoyed him. Rolling his eyes, he knew what she wanted though. So Trayshen looked and found another small building and motioned to her to head for that one to hole up in for a brief period. As they entered, the small little stove threw amber colored lights from the little glass window in the potbellied stove door. With his cybernetic eye he silently scanned the room for heat signatures, vapors, and traps to make sure the room was emptied and safe before dragging Briannah in behind him.
The little shack was barely a ten by ten square room, making the little stove more efficient at warming the nearly frozen pair up. Trayshen pulled two pouches of rations from his pack and poured the already hot water into them. Both quickly ate their ration and placed the refuse back into their packs.
After the meal, they both sat in silence wishing that they had a small bag of their favorite Endorian tea to share. Trayshen broke the silence.
"Are you ok now?"
"Yeah, I can move my hands again." Briannah replied.
"We are south of the saloon" he continued "and that is still 25 yards from our present location." His cybernetic eye downloaded the surrounding building schematics as he talked to her.
"There appears to be two entry points to the cantina – a front and back door. The cantina has two levels. There are 2 rooms on the second floor, plus an office of sorts. There are 4 thermal heat signatures, but there is another signature I am unfamiliar with. Could be from an unknown creature from a planet that my database has not registered."
"Okay, I will take the 4 known targets out. You have the unknown target. This should be easy even for an amateur. DO NOT get cocky Trayshen! "Briannah glared at Trayshen. "I know that most of the time you have the advantage with that cyber crap, but don't underestimate this 'unknown'. We stay the game. No deviations. If the plan fails we fall back and rejoin behind this shack to reconfigure."
Trayshen smirked,
"You sound like my mother..." he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Bri to hear.
Trayshen was so done with this frozen waste of space someone had a nerve to call a planet. He wanted the warmth of Endor and the green landscape and clean air it offered. He knew she also did too, but wouldn't admit to it.
They put their survival gear back on and took a deep breath and stealthily left the shack. Splitting in two directions, Trayshen to the east and Briannah to the west, they silently made their way to the cantina. It seemed to both all living bodies must be in the cantina for the warmth and conversation….as the streets were desolate and ghostly.
At nearly the same time they arrived at the predetermined positions. Trayshen signaled to her. He held his arm up to give Briannah a visual. She glanced at the display on his arm and saw all targets marked with red dots. Go time she thought. Trayshen counted down with his human hand. Five fingers…four fingers…three…two...one. They both rushed in.
Briannah's first target was a nasty looking Gand – a humanoid insect creature that wore a mask to breathe. The creature's exoskeleton provided protection from most blaster rounds, blades and bombs. Small, yet cunning, this creature had ducked behind the counter with a homemade blaster in hand. Thinking himself undetected he swiftly jumped on the counter and fired his blaster. The shot burned a hole into the wall….not human flesh, which the creature had hoped for. The female was nowhere to be found. The Gand looked around in the barely lit building and searched for his target. Unbeknownst to him, Briannah had already known his location and had snuck past him while he had leapt onto the counter. With a swift sideways kick, she took the insectoids legs out from under him. As he lost his footing, he cried out with a shrill sound and fell on his right side. Bri's hand effortlessly grabbed a blade from beneath her cloak and slammed her closed fist onto the counter – blade pointing up. The blade met the Gand as he fell onto its' metal, plunging into his huge unprotected insect-like eyes. Had the hilt not been on the knife, the force would have pushed it clean through. Instead, the head's motion abruptly stopped as it hit the hilt.
Slowly the back door opened. The end of a bow blaster entered the building. Cautiously the gray haired Wookie aimed his sights at Briannah as she searched the Gand's body. Her back to the back door she had no idea she was in danger. She continued checking the Gand.
The Wookie quietly nudged the door open further, careful to not alert the female. He took a step in and raised the bow blaster to eye level and fired. The blast went through Briannah and hit the body of the Gand, causing it to move slightly. As it went through Briannah, her shape rippled, disappeared and reappeared, all the while keeping the same stance. The Wookie looked at the female, tilted his head and lowered the bow blaster. Briannah came from beside the startled Wookie, took the blaster, turned it around and fired into its chest. It let out a roar and fell to the ground. Bri pushed a button on her belt and the image that had been by the Gand disappeared. Crap she thought. Someone would have heard that. She stopped and listened, as she ducked behind the counter. Sure enough, her suspicions were right. She heard two heavy sets of footsteps start moving from above. One sounded heavier than the other, she noticed. They both seemed to shuffle about. She listened and heard two sets of muffled voices, each sounding panicked. A male and a female. One voice was lower and one higher, although she couldn't make out what they were saying. Bri reached into her cloak and pulled out a small, yet powerful blaster. This was a special gift from a special friend and she didn't use it very often. However, it felt like this was an appropriate time. As she came out from behind the bar, she took a few steps towards the stairs. From this vantage point, she would be able to take anyone coming from above by surprise. She stopped, wrapped herself in her cloak and crouched down. She pressed a certain place in her cloaks lining and the surface shimmered and began reflecting light – creating the perfect camouflage. She waited for her next target as he slowly descended the stairs.
From her new vantage point, Briannah could see a male Chistori coming down the steps. The Chistori were a reptilian race – fierce warriors, quick to anger – yet not the most intelligent sentient being. He, like the Gand, also had a thick skin. However, unlike the Gand's exoskeleton, he bore scales – durable and thick. Not the easiest thing to kill. Bri silently cursed to herself as she weighed her options. When her next move finally came to her, she took a few deep breathes and waited for the Chistori to get into just the right position.
The Chistori hissed as he came down the steps. He held in his hands a scavenged Storm Trooper blaster. As he glanced around, into each corner, he saw the two victim's bodies.
"Zalthrax! Mentowka!." He exclaimed as he recognized his now slain partners. As he crossed the floor, Briannah stood up and pointed her blaster at him. The Chistori hissed and swung around to point his weapon at her.
"Drop it, scales!" She yelled, raising her blaster, pointing it at his head.
"I don't think so, human whore!" Hissed the Chistori, laughing. Bri heard a click behind her. She kept the blaster on the reptile and looked behind her, turning her body to her left. Her eyes met those of a female Rishii – an Avian humanoid species with brown and white feathers, a tail and arms that were wings. The Rishii had hands on the ends of their wings, and this particular female had a wrist bow with what looked like poison tipped mini-arrows pointed at Bri.
"Stupid female! Did you think I was alone?" sneered the Chistori, laughing at the foolishness of this seemingly reckless human. Briannah took one step, turned herself back to the previous position, faced the Chistori, smiled and raised her hands up. Her back was now to the Rishii.
"Not at all. Actually," she stated as she looked at him "I was counting on it!" Swiftly she darted to her left. The Rishii female, now startled, fired her weapon. The poisonous arrow barely missed Bri and came rushing into the chest of the Chistori. Even through his thick scales, the arrowhead managed to just penetrate the surface. He screamed, dropped his weapon, and began clawing at the arrow. Bri took the opportunity to strike. She raised her blaster and pushed a button. A mini light saber bayonet protruded from just underneath the barrel. She plunged the saber into the Chistori's scaly neck. The Chistori gurgled, dropped to his knees as Bri pulled the bayonet out, and fell face forward into a pool of greenish-blue blood. Not forgetting the other target, Briannah turned her weapon and her focus to the female Rishii.
"Don't move!" She yelled. The Rishii squawked and raised her winged arms. "What to do with you, now….hmmm." Wondered Bri out loud.
"Please….I barely knew him!" the Rishii begged "Let me go and I won't ever speak of this, to anyone!" Bri thought for a second and made her decision.
"Fine…be gone. But if I see you again, I will kill you," exclaimed Bri as she lowered her blaster and retracted the saber bayonet.
"Thank you, thank you!" the Rishii said, turning around, heading to the door. Seeing the Rishii heading out, Bri turned her attention to the Chistori. She needed to make sure he was dead. As the Rishii came to the door, she quickly pulled back the mini-bow, loaded a dart, and swiftly turned around. Raising the bow at Briannah, she squaked
"You filthy human!"
Suddenly a shot came through the front door, behind the Rishii, through her back, chest and into her right raised winged hand, severing it clean off. The female couldn't even utter a sound as her lifeless body hit the ground. Bri swirled around, looked at dead avianoid, and into the hole now a permanent fixture in the front door. Trayshen's face peered through the hole at Bri.
"Missed one,"he laughed as he gazed at her through the hole. He stood up and opened the door.
"Really?"Briannah started "don't you have your own targets to kill? I had this all sorted."
"Riiight," responded Trayshen "I think you mean 'thanks, Trayshen, for saving my life' "
"What?" replied Bri "Save my life? You did not save my life. At best, you saved me from a good fight. This bird lady was hardly a threat."
"Ever the grateful one," muttered Trayshen, nudging the Rishii with his foot, making sure she had well and truly expired.
"Are you saying I'm ungrateful?" questioned Briannah walking towards Trayshen. As she passed the deceased Chistori a small door in the floor unlatched. Slowly the trap door cracked open as a pair of unseen eyes looked in Trayshen and Bri's direction. The unknown assailant could see the man and woman, apparently engaged in arguing.
"You take that back, you half-metal jerk," yelled Briannah.
"Hardly," responded Trayshen "You never thank me, always want things your way, and are a general pain in the arse."
"What?" Briannah gasped "How dare you! What about you? Huh! Your manners are as rusty as your parts! Always insisting on taking over, eating most of our rations before I even get one bite, and then there's the smell…."
"Smell? What smell?" Trayshen smelled himself. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
The assailant knew this was the perfect opportunity to take these two intruders out. He was a rather large Bothan – a furry humanoid with pointy ears. He had been a spy for the Empire for a few years, and rather good at it. So good, the bounty on his head was enormous. Undoubtedly the reason for these two humans entering the establishment, he guessed. Thankfully, a silent alarm had alerted him just in time for him to dive into the secret hold he now stood. He smirked when he realized the bounty hunters were so involved in their argument; they wouldn't even know what hit them. He gripped the large blade in his hand. Pity, he thought to himself. He normally loved a good, fair fight. Oh well….he threw the door open and leapt at the both of them.
With a nod from Trayshen, Briannah hit the ground. Trayshen had already had his twin serrated blades out and was swinging them towards the Bothan. With one swift motion the blades separated the furry humanoids head from his torso. The blade the Bothan had been striking with harmlessly fell to the floor with a soft metallic clang. Briannah and Trayshen held their positions for a few moments. When both were sure no other Bothan's would pop out, they both stood up. They turned and looked at each other for a few seconds. Suddenly Trayshen started to chuckle. Then Bri joined in. Now both were having a good belly laugh. After a minute or two of laughter, they each quieted down.
"Clever, " Briannah said, smiling at Trayshen "You were right….as much as I hate to say it. He was in the floor. How in the world did you know?"
"Well," Trayshen returned the smile," when I downloaded the schematics, some measurements were off. I figured there must be a secret room of some sort. When I noticed the silent alarm, I knew that if I tripped it, naturally he would hide. He values his life too much, the freaking narcissist." He said going over to the head of the Bothan. He reached inside his pack, pulled out a small sack, and placed the head in it.
"You didn't really mean those things you were saying, did you?" asked Briannah. Trayshen laughed.
"No, silly," he said walking over to her. He placed his human hand on her right shoulder, facing her. "I knew that he was such a coward, he'd never come out of the hidey hole on his own. So, I figured if we started arguing, he'd take the easy way out. That's why I signaled you to hit deck. I heard the click of the trap door and knew he'd pop out."
"Nice," said Briannah "Impressive. You do still surprise me. Well….sometimes." Both laughed at the comment.
"Now my dear," Trayshen bowed to her as he opened the door "Let us leave this frozen hell hole"
"With pleasure, sir," Bri bowed back. She walked through the doorway and stood in the snow. Trayshen was right behind her. He took a step next to her. Both glanced around at the vast ice and snow that covered the landscape.
"Don't ever say I never took you anywhere nice," laughed Trayshen. Briannah gave a chuckle. A small ship, now uncloaked, hovered above them. A ladder came from underneath the vehicle and hung down, just within reach. Trayshen lifted Briannah up and she grabbed the ladder.
"Ok, I won't. But next time, can we take a bounty on a warm planet? Say, Tatooine?" She said as she climbed into the ship. Trayshen laughed and followed her into the ship.
"Now, where's the fun in that?" He said, closing the latch.
"By the way," Briannah spoke as she leaned forward and sniffed Trayshen, "you really do need a bath."
"I'll get right on that,"replied Trayshen, "as soon as I'm done downing all our food."
"