STAR WARS
"Hero in the Fold"
Once upon a time, there was an Ithorian. He was special. His name happened to be Owi Ben. But those of his species were known as Hammerhead. Needless to say, where he was, Ithorians were few and far between. He yawned. With that, he had the desire to leave his world. That would be difficult – there were no starships on Tatooine at that time in its development. Mos Eisley was the only spaceport on that world. And it was on the far side of the planet. He would have to make an appeal to the Hutts. After all, they owned the planet. Without a vehicle, he began his trek to Mos Espa. To defend himself, Owi Ben had a simple staff at his side.
On the way, he thought about family. His father was fighting in the Clone Wars at the time. His father told him his mother left them for another. Owi Ben wished he knew more about her. It was irresponsible to fight the elements – a sandstorm was coming. In defeat, Owi Ben shook his staff at it. Just then, by some force, off in the distance, he saw a home. He was saved! At first, he wanted to run to that home. But that was not easy for his species. He knocked on the door to the residence. The door was open. As to escape from the elements, he entered illegally. There was a drink there. Owi Ben felt thirsty. So, he drank from the glass. He fell over.
He came to. In bondage, a female, alien to him, sized him up while eating fruit. Owi Ben was polite and asked of her intentions. He was her prisoner. All he had was a staff and some pocket change. He asked if she was going to kill him. She could, but no. It was understood that he was escaping the weather. She removed the covers she was wearing to protect her from the sand and asked him what he was doing there. He explained. With a laugh, she told him making appeals to the Hutts was self-defeating. He needed money to leave Tatooine. She untied him. The only way to make quick cash there was to steal or gamble. As he pondered his options, Owi Ben drifted off to sleep that night. In the middle of the night, out of loneliness, the beautiful human crept up behind him.
He was eating breakfast. Her name was a mystery no longer. It was Perseus. Owi Ben asked the cost of the room and board. Nothing was the cost. Owi Ben also asked if he could have his staff back. She told him leaving was not an option. They were under six feet of sand. He would show her a miracle. With the wave of his staff, he parted the sand covering the front door. She did not know if it was his miracle or that of the staff. He laughed. Without the intention of becoming thieves, they collected their belongings to continue the trek to Mos Espa. Perseus armed herself with a knife.
They talked as they walked. She revealed that she was marooned on Tatooine for killing an innocent man. Halfway to their destination, they saw their target nearby. Speeders were above it. She began to run as he smiled. Owi Ben hit a helmet in the sand with his foot. He picked it up. He cried out to Perseus as he tossed the helmet to her. She recognized it to be that of a pilot. At Mos Espa, they plotted to sell the helmet. Owi Ben had an idea – sell it to its owner. It could make them more money. It was near nightfall. They used their remaining currency for local room and board there.
The next morning, Perseus asked Owi Ben to sell his staff. His stomach started to make noises. He felt sick. This gave them a free pass to a local care center. A medical officer of the Republic gave Owi Ben his diagnosis – he was with child. Apparently, he was female. In a week, he – or she – would have her litter. Perseus went into every room at the care center to steal. She stole just what they needed. Five were in the litter. They were given up. Still in pain from the labor, Owi Ben and Perseus took a transport to Coruscant. Yes, they went from the outermost planet to the innermost planet. It was the first time Owi Ben saw outer space. It would put him to sleep. A dream told her their species had no females.
The first thing Owi Ben did on arrival was contact the Republic. He had a theory that his father was a liar. He, Ukban, was detained and questioned. Ukban confessed that he lied to his offspring. The Republic had to strip him of his duties. Later in the night, Ukban harassed Owi Ben on the streets. Instinctively, Owi Ben forced him backwards. He was pushed off a precipice. It was an accident. He did not know his own strength. The first thing he did was turn himself in. He was rewarded with his father's rank and position. He invited Perseus to join him, but she wanted to explore Coruscant more. Although, she did give him a comlink to stay in touch.
For the crime of stealing at Mos Espa, Perseus was arrested by the Republic. Her defense was Owi Ben. He was sitting behind a desk anyway. He spoke up for her. She once saved his life. They were both imprisoned. Perseus took out her knife. It was hidden within her. With the aid of Owi Ben's Force ability, they compromised the guard. Then they ran. Blasting their way to a speeder, they were on their way to a terminal. The Jedi were waiting. The price for Perseus fighting them – she lost an arm. Now she was special. She was given a robotic limb. It ended her sense of humor. Soon, the Empire was instated. It offered them a fresh start. They were free from any charges against them. They lived happily ever after.
The End