While I got a lot of thinking done there, I know of better things to spend
my time doing. -Jess Jess's Journal
The screeching started one more time. Jess Jess opened her eyes and found the scratch in the paint to stare at. When she had finally gotten to sleep, Clipper had to wake up. It was guaranteed to be another uneventful day. *I bet the only thing keeping me sane is my chrono,* she thought. A faint sound could be heard through Clipper's attempted erosion of the wall. He stopped, presumably to listen, just as his master was trying to.
It must have been the door to the main corridor opening and closing. She leaned against the wall by the exit and heard muffled voices through the hatch. Footsteps came toward her and stopped right outside. She thought it might be someone with an interrogator droid. There were terrible stories about the Chief of State's experience with those. She hurried back to the "bunk" and sat, wondering what would become of her or her friends. *Please, whatever you do, don't hurt Clipper!* Her door hissed open to reveal a young man, not much older than Baka. Behind him stood one of the base's guards. He stepped in and allowed the hatch to shut at his back.
When he spoke, his voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd heard it. "So you're that Gungan they picked up." It wasn't a question, but Jess Jess felt she should respond anyway.
"I wouldn't put it that way," she cautiously said. Any wrong move could prompt him to call the guards. She really didn't like the way he looked at her as if she was a nonsentient being. Then she remembered that that was how Imperial supporters were trained to think. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"You're not just going to attack me and try to use me to get out?" If anything, this youngster was highly confused.
"No," she replied, "why would I do that? I'm unarmed and the guys on the other side of the door are. Not to mention that they wouldn't let Clipper out no matter what, and I'm not leaving without him."
"Oh. Clipper? You mean you're not leaving here without that gargoyle thing next door?"
That really upset Jess Jess. No one was going to insult her adorable pet with the cute, bent little ears to her face, no matter how much better their position was. "Clipper is not a gargoyle! He's a vornskr!" As if to accent her point, the domesticated animal started scratching away at the wall more fiercely than ever.
The young man got very scared. "You think he needs a tranquilizer?"
"No, if you don't insult him, he'll quiet down in a while. I love my pet and if you make fun of him in front of me, I won't be happy. He'll know and start damaging your beautifully white walls."
"Okay, I bet he's the best, uh, vornskr ever." An uneasy silence emerged, making Jess Jess wonder what he had really come here for.
Finally, she just gave up and asked, "What do you want with me? Why did you come here?"
He moved over to the corner of the small room and leaned against the two walls. "I wanted to see if aliens were really like they are in the holodramas."
Jess Jess laughed, but tried not to give any hints to this guy that she was doing so. *That's the absolute stupidest reason I ever heard for anyone wanting to meet me!* "Am I?" She knew how the Imperial holodramas portrayed nonhumans: like monsters, Gamorrean nerfherders. It was inexcusable.
"No," he admitted, "you actually remind me of my sister."
Her eyes momentarily widened before she forced all expression from her face, even though she didn't really think he could read Gungan expressions that well. If she reminded him of his family, he may be more willing to help her out. "How so?"
"She was always very logical and wasn't too quick to pass judgment. We always thought she was rather strange because she socialized with." No one had to say the last word. His eyes flicked momentarily to his toes and then back to Jess Jess. "I should probably go now."
Even if he was an Imperial, his company was enjoyed. He was the first person to talk to her since General Dalpiez's pawns had thrown her in here. She could tell he was beginning to reevaluate his own opinions of aliens. That was good. "So you're going to leave me in here, all alone. The least you could do is send Clipper in. It's in everyone's best interests. You guys don't care what happens to him, so it won't hurt you to put him in with me. He may even be so hungry, he'll rid you of me." What she didn't tell him was that vornskrs formed a special bond with those who played with them and fed them, as she did.
"I'll see what I can do. No promises." She nodded, so he went to the door and knocked. The guard on the other side opened it and let him out, all the while with his blaster trained on the prisoner. It shut and she moved over to the door. Muffled voices came to her ear. Two minutes later, the hatch hissed up again and an unconscious Clipper was shoved in, but not all the way. She helped the guard get him a bit further in, albeit not as roughly.
At least she wouldn't be alone anymore. Clipper would keep her company, even if the mysterious man didn't come back. She didn't want to admit it, but there was a much greater chance that he wouldn't return than the opposite.
my time doing. -Jess Jess's Journal
The screeching started one more time. Jess Jess opened her eyes and found the scratch in the paint to stare at. When she had finally gotten to sleep, Clipper had to wake up. It was guaranteed to be another uneventful day. *I bet the only thing keeping me sane is my chrono,* she thought. A faint sound could be heard through Clipper's attempted erosion of the wall. He stopped, presumably to listen, just as his master was trying to.
It must have been the door to the main corridor opening and closing. She leaned against the wall by the exit and heard muffled voices through the hatch. Footsteps came toward her and stopped right outside. She thought it might be someone with an interrogator droid. There were terrible stories about the Chief of State's experience with those. She hurried back to the "bunk" and sat, wondering what would become of her or her friends. *Please, whatever you do, don't hurt Clipper!* Her door hissed open to reveal a young man, not much older than Baka. Behind him stood one of the base's guards. He stepped in and allowed the hatch to shut at his back.
When he spoke, his voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd heard it. "So you're that Gungan they picked up." It wasn't a question, but Jess Jess felt she should respond anyway.
"I wouldn't put it that way," she cautiously said. Any wrong move could prompt him to call the guards. She really didn't like the way he looked at her as if she was a nonsentient being. Then she remembered that that was how Imperial supporters were trained to think. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"You're not just going to attack me and try to use me to get out?" If anything, this youngster was highly confused.
"No," she replied, "why would I do that? I'm unarmed and the guys on the other side of the door are. Not to mention that they wouldn't let Clipper out no matter what, and I'm not leaving without him."
"Oh. Clipper? You mean you're not leaving here without that gargoyle thing next door?"
That really upset Jess Jess. No one was going to insult her adorable pet with the cute, bent little ears to her face, no matter how much better their position was. "Clipper is not a gargoyle! He's a vornskr!" As if to accent her point, the domesticated animal started scratching away at the wall more fiercely than ever.
The young man got very scared. "You think he needs a tranquilizer?"
"No, if you don't insult him, he'll quiet down in a while. I love my pet and if you make fun of him in front of me, I won't be happy. He'll know and start damaging your beautifully white walls."
"Okay, I bet he's the best, uh, vornskr ever." An uneasy silence emerged, making Jess Jess wonder what he had really come here for.
Finally, she just gave up and asked, "What do you want with me? Why did you come here?"
He moved over to the corner of the small room and leaned against the two walls. "I wanted to see if aliens were really like they are in the holodramas."
Jess Jess laughed, but tried not to give any hints to this guy that she was doing so. *That's the absolute stupidest reason I ever heard for anyone wanting to meet me!* "Am I?" She knew how the Imperial holodramas portrayed nonhumans: like monsters, Gamorrean nerfherders. It was inexcusable.
"No," he admitted, "you actually remind me of my sister."
Her eyes momentarily widened before she forced all expression from her face, even though she didn't really think he could read Gungan expressions that well. If she reminded him of his family, he may be more willing to help her out. "How so?"
"She was always very logical and wasn't too quick to pass judgment. We always thought she was rather strange because she socialized with." No one had to say the last word. His eyes flicked momentarily to his toes and then back to Jess Jess. "I should probably go now."
Even if he was an Imperial, his company was enjoyed. He was the first person to talk to her since General Dalpiez's pawns had thrown her in here. She could tell he was beginning to reevaluate his own opinions of aliens. That was good. "So you're going to leave me in here, all alone. The least you could do is send Clipper in. It's in everyone's best interests. You guys don't care what happens to him, so it won't hurt you to put him in with me. He may even be so hungry, he'll rid you of me." What she didn't tell him was that vornskrs formed a special bond with those who played with them and fed them, as she did.
"I'll see what I can do. No promises." She nodded, so he went to the door and knocked. The guard on the other side opened it and let him out, all the while with his blaster trained on the prisoner. It shut and she moved over to the door. Muffled voices came to her ear. Two minutes later, the hatch hissed up again and an unconscious Clipper was shoved in, but not all the way. She helped the guard get him a bit further in, albeit not as roughly.
At least she wouldn't be alone anymore. Clipper would keep her company, even if the mysterious man didn't come back. She didn't want to admit it, but there was a much greater chance that he wouldn't return than the opposite.