Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the movies
Ok, HIDO! Thankies very much for all you that R&R'd! I ACCEPT FLAMES, because I'm going to laugh anyway and send my psycho monkey after you. Ooo-ooo-ooo-aaah-aah-ahhh!
But thank you God, since so far I haven't gotten flamed. My psycho monkey is hard to control once he attacks!
Please review! MY ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ARE NOW ON, SO FEEL FREE TO REVIEW! I would prefer that you leave signed reviews, but I would accept any reviews at the moment.
I realize that my chapters have been short so far, but I am working on making them longer!
Okay, enough of that! Now, here's…….Chapter 4!
Chapter Four – Spaceport Rendezvous
Stranded on an alien planet without food, water, or transport, I did the only thing I could think to do: walk. I remembered seeing a spaceport as we had passed over Arnickay's surface in one of the clone ships, and now I desperately prayed that I was heading in the right direction. I was not skilled at tracking or desert survival, and I knew that my life now relied on luck alone.
I walked silently for what must have been hours, the hood of my cloak protecting my face from the setting sun and my eyes from the stirring sand. I paused for a moment, the feeling that I had done this before coming over me, but I pushed it away. I had never been on Arnickay before today; in fact, I had never even been on a desert planet before in my life. As I pondered this unusual sensation, I heard a faint buzzing behind me and turned to look. In the sky was a small black shape, growing larger as it approached me. I recognized it for what it was and my heart soared at the sight of it. The spaceship zoomed above me and I resumed my journey, following the path of upturned dirt that its thrusters had left behind.
My feet touched the entrance to the port and I looked around, half in awe and half in horror. The shops, if they could be called that, were crumbling mounds of clay, with carved out window-frames and doorways while rusted parts and broken-down speeders littered the streets, creating a very wavy pathway. Strange beings roamed the area, ranging from slime-covered creatures to humanoids, and I stood in shock, staring at them for so long that I began to receive strange looks.
I turned my head away and melted into the shadows of an alleyway because I knew why I was attracting looks. Dressed in a bright white tunic, cream-colored pants, and my light-brown cloak, I stood out among the dirty and grimy inhabitants of the streets. I need to blend in better, but how? I thought before glancing at the alley. There was nothing but trash lying on the dusty ground, but I dug through it anyway, searching for something I could use and I found what I was looking for; a discarded old cloak and tunic.
The cloak was a navy blue, in fair condition and coated with sand, but the tunic was much worse. It was dark gray, ripped in several places and riddled with jagged holes. Grease and oil stains covered the fabric, suggesting that its previous owner had been an engineer or mechanic. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, but began undressing anyway. I slipped off my cloak, throwing it onto a nearby pile of filth. My outer tunic joined it, leaving me wearing only a thin inner shirt and my pants. I slipped on the gray tunic and the blue cloak. I tugged at my hair, twisting my ponytail into a strict bun huddled at the nape of my neck. I flipped the hood of the cloak over my head and looked at my reflection in a nearby puddle. My hair and eyes were hidden by the hood, my cheeks streaked with grease from the trash, and my body clad in old, torn clothing. I made one addition to my outfit; hooking my lightsaber to the belt, making sure that the cloak would cover it as I walked and I was as ready as I could be.
I stepped back onto the main street and looked around again. There were even more people roaming the streets now, despite the fact that the sun was sinking lower below the horizon, casting deep shadows around the spaceport. I stood there for a few moments, waiting to attract attention, but their gazes slid past me as though I wasn't there. At last, I blended in. Now to find a way off of this rock and begin locating the survivors. My stomach growled at me in protest. Maybe I'll find something to eat first.
I scanned the buildings and headed for one that seemed to be a restaurant. I walked through the door and was hit with a blast of loud music. I walked around crowded tables, stealthily shoving through a throng of standing beings, and arrived at a large counter along one wall of the building. I sat down on a stool, trying to ignore the crowd of people pressing around me on all sides and the thick choking smoke in the air that originated from some unknown source. The bartender came over to me and asked me what I wanted. I ordered the Balacian platter, which turned out to be a plate full of brightly colored fruit. I dug in with my hands, guiding the food gently into my mouth and chewing, relishing every sweet bite. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I began eating, but now I felt like I was feeding a ravished beast inside of me, craving not only food, but power and energy. It scared me that I could have something with that much strength inside of me and not know it until now. Master Melina would be ashamed of me if she knew that I was letting my emotions color my judgment. And with that thought, a single tear slid from my eye and down my cheek. How am I supposed to save the Jedi? I can't even get off this planet! I can feel that great power that Melina said is inside me, but I couldn't even begin to know how to use it. How can I save the Jedi when I can't even save myself?
I felt something brush against my face and I jumped, snapping out of my daze. My eyes saw a hand reaching out to me, a finger touching my cheek, and I grabbed the stranger's wrist. I knew immediately that it was a man because of the coarse texture of arm hair beneath my sweaty hands. I followed the length of his arm and found myself staring into a humanoid's face.
His eyes drew my gaze first; two brilliant purple orbs with sparkling flecks of gold surrounding shockingly white pupils. He looked blind, though the way his head was titled toward me told me otherwise. His nose was slightly crooked, as if it had been broken at one time, but sloped gently downed his face. His eyelashes were long and a deep blonde color, which was carried upward into bangs that brushed the top edges of his eyes. His hair was close to his head, not shaved but close to it and it framed delicate looking ears. His lips were rounded and full and were a pale pink hue. If it wasn't for the very masculine curve of his chin, I could have mistaken him for a girl.
And except for the arm hair. I glanced down at his arm, held firmly in my hand and then back at him, recovering from my surprise. I narrowed my eyes in the pretense of angry, because I was more curious as to why a stranger had fondled my face than to who he was. If he had been an enemy, he wouldn't have stroked my cheek; he'd have just shot me.
"What do you want?" I said, willing my voice to come out as a hiss. Instead, my tone sounded exactly like how I felt: curious. A grin graced his face and a low chuckle escaped his throat.
"A woman like you ought to know better than that, when you come in here, looking as beautiful as you are," he said in a voice that melted over me, like warm butter.
"Beautiful?" I coughed. "You must be mistaken." He smiled wider and it irked me.
"No, I don't think I am. It may be hidden be hidden beneath filthy clothes and a hood, but I see beauty nonetheless," he replied, the smile reaching up into his mysterious eyes and making them twinkle. I sighed deeply, my hand letting go of his wrist. I don't have time for this! I should be finding a way off this rock?
"Why did you touch me?" No matter how much I hated it, my curiosity had gotten the better of me and I could not stop the words from tumbling out of my mouth. He grinned yet again and I felt my anger rising. He held out his arm to me again but didn't touch me, instead letting me look at his outstretched hand. On the tip of his index finger was a tiny droplet of water. He had brushed away my tear at the thought of my master.
"I hate to see a pretty girl cry," he said, watching the shock on my face and, to my great pleasure, his smile slid from his face.
"You never answered my question. What do you want?" I asked rudely, hoping to keep his annoying grin gone.
"You looked so lost. I want to help you, le keitta dorna," he said. I felt my eyes widen and his bothersome smile came rushing back. I may not speak much Arnick, but I recognized the phrase from my master's lessons about her homeland. That was why we were here; because she was native to this world. The words meant "little Jedi" and they spelled disaster for me.
"How do you know that?" I hissed, my voice finally sounding angry, because I was, in fact, angry now.
"I know a lot of things that normal people can't see," he replied cryptically. "Like how I know you need a way to leave this place."
"Maybe you are right, but why would I tell you?" I answered coldly, turning back toward the counter.
"Because I have a ship," he said, holding a pair of keys in front of my face.
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Okay, now since I use words I make up in this, I'll provide definitions and descrips.
#1: Arnickay – the planet Zira is stranded on. Also, a desert planet similar to Tatooine. The people and language are called Arnick. More to come if needed!
#2: Balacian – the name for the people of the planet of Balaci, a planet on which beautiful and delicious fruits are grown. More on Balaci may come if I use it again.
#3: le keitta dorna – part of the Arnick language. Pronounced: le (la) keitta (kai-i-tae) dorna (door-ne). Meaning: literally- the little Jedi. In story- it is used to mean simply: little Jedi.
PLEASE REVIEW! More reviews, sooner updates, blah, blah, blah. Chapter Five is coming up! It may take a bit though because I have school, job, and I'm trying to work on all my stories equally! Feel free to check 'em out while your waiting (there's Buffy, Inu-Yasha, Fantastic Four, and Danny Phantom ones) and I'll see you later!