Corso followed his captain Tresse Finn through the hectic market place. She was easy enough to keep an eye on, with her tall figure and shaved head, plus there was a certain swagger in her walk that made everyone move out of her way. They were in yet another busy space port; he wasn't even sure what the name of this one was. Tresse had a shipment of flash-frozen slugs that she was more than eager to get rid of and was going to try to get an extra 3 percent since one of the cases leaked slug juice all over her cargo hold. Corso was the one who had to clean it up. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to get the fishy smell out of the hold, much less his clothes.
When Tresse reached the market stall where she was supposed to haggle the deal, Corso couldn't help but wander off a bit. A couple stalls down was a strange looking vendor. He tried not to stare at the ancient woman sitting cross legged on a stack of pillows, her tiny face dwarfed by huge gold hoop earrings. A wave of spicy incense flowed out of the stall, nearly bowling Corso over. It was some sort of gypsy vendor, he decided.
"You there, boy."
The old woman had spotted him staring and was calling out to him. Panicking, he pretended not to notice her, but she was not fooled.
"I see you there. Come here and talk a moment. Fancy a fortune?"
A fortune? Corso glanced at Tresse. She was still arguing with the Twi'lek vendor. It was still going to be a while, he guessed, so he shrugged and went up to the stall. He had a few stacks of credits in his pocket, his personal earnings from his and Tresse's jobs. The woman grinned toothlessly at him as he sat down on the cushion across from her. The smell of incense was even stronger in the stall.
"Ma'am." He greeted her, unsure of what proper protocol would be. He rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants, suddenly self-conscious of how large he was compared to the gypsy. She pulled another piece of incense from behind her, lit it, and then set it between her and Corso like a miniature campfire.
"You have a good build, boy. You grew up on a farm." It wasn't a question- she was just stating the fact. He nodded, wondering how she had derived that. "You also have seen many terrible things. Violence, blood, war. You have lost many who were close to you."
The smell of incense and flashbacks of that night hit Corso like a freight train. Images of his father's home, the door torn off the hinges, the smoke and blood, rushed over him. He tried to brace himself, but he still flinched. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.
"But that is behind you." She continued, her voice was distant as if she was speaking from kilometers away, "Now you travel the stars, searching for a new life. For something that will make you feel whole again." The gypsy watched him, smirking at his awed expression.
"How did you figure that?" He asked, but she shook her head, raising her hand to silence him.
"Hush, boy, one cannot explain how to understand the power of the past, present, and future. I have told you your past and your present. Do you wish to hear of the future?"
He nodded eagerly.
"Good. Give me your hand." He pulled his glove off and reached his hand over to her. She held it, his palm facing up, and studied. Her grip was like papier-mâché, dry and fragile. Moments passed as she studied it, her already wrinkled brow creased with concern. His stomach twisted. What if she found something bad in his future?
Finally, after what felt like forever, she let go of his hand. "You have quite the path before you, young man. Many dangers will be faced before you. You will meet new allies, but also new enemies. You- and your friends- are going to face greater challenges than any other." The gypsy closed her eyes, "A storm is coming to the galaxy, brewing as we speak. I have long foreseen it. But this is the first time I have ever seen hope. You have a greater destiny before you than you can imagine."
"That's nifty."
Corso and the gypsy turned around to see Tresse standing behind them, an amused smirk on her face, "I wondered where you wandered off to, Farm Boy." She glanced at the old woman with slight disdain, "Pay her so we can go before she scams you from all your credits."
The woman paid no heed to Tresse's insults, but Corso sheepishly pulled credits from his pocket. "How much do I owe you?" He asked, but she shook her head.
"Save the galaxy as the fates have foretold, young man, and you owe me nothing."
"How generous." Tresse commented as Corso stood up. He gave the woman an apologetic look. Tresse was usually skeptical of 'magic', but she wasn't normally this bitter. She probably wasn't able to get compensation for the slug spill, "C'mon."
"You have the looks of a scoundrel." The woman called out as Tresse walked away, "But I can see that you have the blood of nobility. Tell us, princess, why did you forsake your family and your world?"
Tresse froze suddenly, making Corso nearly run into her. She whirled around at the woman; her blue eyes alight with fire. She pointed, her mouth open and ready to argue, but she lowered her hand. "You're wrong there, lady. I am as far from 'noble' as it goes." Then she curtly turned on her heel and marched away.
Corso finally managed to catch up with her, "Sorry, Captain. I was just curious about-"
Tresse rose her hand to hush him, "No worries. Those gypsies really know how to work up appeal, what with all those pillows and incense. Just realize that they'll say anything if they know you'll pay them." But she wouldn't take my money, Corso wanted to argue, but stayed quiet. "I'm hungry, let's get some chow."