Miriam awoke in a bunk in the cabin area of the ship. Quietly sitting up,
she tried to remember where she was. Just then, the door slid open and a
handsome young man walked in. His black hair fell lightly over his eyes
and the green gaze brought her back to reality.
"Where am I?" she asked, just to confirm what she knew.
"On my ship. You fell asleep in the cockpit almost as soon as we boarded." He leaned against the door post. "I moved you in here so you'd be a little more comfortable. I've fallen asleep in the pilot's chair. The cramps I woke up with were horrible. Trust me." He rubbed the back of his neck to emphasize his point.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling slightly.
"No problem." As she stood and stretched, he turned toward the lounge. She followed.
Zekk felt a little uncomfortable, knowing what he did. But he wasn't going to judge her because of her dad. "Ready to tell me your name yet?" he pretended like nothing had ever happened.
"I'd prefer not." She spotted her bag on the table. She wondered what was going on with Zekk. He was shielding very badly and anxiety and worry rolled off of him. She began searching through the kitchenette to find something to eat.
"Top right cabinet." She opened it and found some food.
"Ok. Where are you from?" He sat on the couch and picked up a hydrospanner to fiddle with.
"I don't really wanna tell you." She sat down to eat.
"Why are you so secretive?" he asked, slightly annoyed.
"My dad says never to trust anyone, at least until you know them very well."
"Of course he would say that," mumbled Zekk.
"What?" she exclaimed angrily.
"Oh...well...I just thought a bounty hunter wouldn't trust anyone." He said carelessly trying to cover his mistake.
"What does bounty hunters have anything to do with it?" she glared at him.
"Oh, um..." he hesitated. "Your dad was a bounty hunter." A red flag went up immediately. Stupid Zekk! Didn't you learn to think before you speak? When her eyes narrowed and her hands clenched he kicked himself. "Oops."
"How do you know my dad is a bounty hunter?" She could feel a sea of emotions running off of him. Regret, guilt, confusion, and curiosity among the most predominant.
"I'm sorry. " He sighed, "I looked through your bag."
"And why, pray tell, would you do a stupid thing like that?"
"I'm really sorry. I just wanted to know who you were. I didn't even mean to! Your bag just fell and some stuff fell out. I picked up your ID and kinda read it."
"Well, now you know. Do you have something against bounty hunters?" she exclaimed suddenly, remembering his earlier remark.
"No, not at all. In fact, I was a bounty hunter for a while."
"Really? I can't see a puny little piece of Hutt slime like you being any good at that occupation."
"Well, I wasn't. I was only one for a short time and my biggest mission, I worked with your father."
"Yeah right! My dad wouldn't work with a little nerfherder like you."
"He would if he was paid."
"Well...what happened?"
"Well, my friend Jaina and Jacen Solo, Raynar and Lusa..."
"Wait, Jaina and Jacen Solo? You're friends with them? Whoa."
"Yea. Anyway...Us and Tenel Ka..."
"Tenel ka? The Queen of Hapes!"
"Yes. Anyways..." he told her the whole story and then concluded, "And
that is how I worked with your dad."
"Ok. He did tell me about that one...not divulging names."
"I'm really sorry, Miriam. I didn't mean to offend you."
"It's ok. Where are we going anyway?"
"Well, I'm going to Ossus."
"Isn't that where the Jedi Academy is?"
"Yes. That's why I'm going there."
"Oh," she shifted uncomfortably.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just that I'm kind of uncomfortable around Jedi. They have a infamous place in my families' history."
"Oh, yea."
"Yeah."
"Well, we won't bother you or hurt you. We're actually quite nice."
"Well, ok, but I'd rather go somewhere else."
"Where am I?" she asked, just to confirm what she knew.
"On my ship. You fell asleep in the cockpit almost as soon as we boarded." He leaned against the door post. "I moved you in here so you'd be a little more comfortable. I've fallen asleep in the pilot's chair. The cramps I woke up with were horrible. Trust me." He rubbed the back of his neck to emphasize his point.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling slightly.
"No problem." As she stood and stretched, he turned toward the lounge. She followed.
Zekk felt a little uncomfortable, knowing what he did. But he wasn't going to judge her because of her dad. "Ready to tell me your name yet?" he pretended like nothing had ever happened.
"I'd prefer not." She spotted her bag on the table. She wondered what was going on with Zekk. He was shielding very badly and anxiety and worry rolled off of him. She began searching through the kitchenette to find something to eat.
"Top right cabinet." She opened it and found some food.
"Ok. Where are you from?" He sat on the couch and picked up a hydrospanner to fiddle with.
"I don't really wanna tell you." She sat down to eat.
"Why are you so secretive?" he asked, slightly annoyed.
"My dad says never to trust anyone, at least until you know them very well."
"Of course he would say that," mumbled Zekk.
"What?" she exclaimed angrily.
"Oh...well...I just thought a bounty hunter wouldn't trust anyone." He said carelessly trying to cover his mistake.
"What does bounty hunters have anything to do with it?" she glared at him.
"Oh, um..." he hesitated. "Your dad was a bounty hunter." A red flag went up immediately. Stupid Zekk! Didn't you learn to think before you speak? When her eyes narrowed and her hands clenched he kicked himself. "Oops."
"How do you know my dad is a bounty hunter?" She could feel a sea of emotions running off of him. Regret, guilt, confusion, and curiosity among the most predominant.
"I'm sorry. " He sighed, "I looked through your bag."
"And why, pray tell, would you do a stupid thing like that?"
"I'm really sorry. I just wanted to know who you were. I didn't even mean to! Your bag just fell and some stuff fell out. I picked up your ID and kinda read it."
"Well, now you know. Do you have something against bounty hunters?" she exclaimed suddenly, remembering his earlier remark.
"No, not at all. In fact, I was a bounty hunter for a while."
"Really? I can't see a puny little piece of Hutt slime like you being any good at that occupation."
"Well, I wasn't. I was only one for a short time and my biggest mission, I worked with your father."
"Yeah right! My dad wouldn't work with a little nerfherder like you."
"He would if he was paid."
"Well...what happened?"
"Well, my friend Jaina and Jacen Solo, Raynar and Lusa..."
"Wait, Jaina and Jacen Solo? You're friends with them? Whoa."
"Yea. Anyway...Us and Tenel Ka..."
"Tenel ka? The Queen of Hapes!"
"Yes. Anyways..." he told her the whole story and then concluded, "And
that is how I worked with your dad."
"Ok. He did tell me about that one...not divulging names."
"I'm really sorry, Miriam. I didn't mean to offend you."
"It's ok. Where are we going anyway?"
"Well, I'm going to Ossus."
"Isn't that where the Jedi Academy is?"
"Yes. That's why I'm going there."
"Oh," she shifted uncomfortably.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just that I'm kind of uncomfortable around Jedi. They have a infamous place in my families' history."
"Oh, yea."
"Yeah."
"Well, we won't bother you or hurt you. We're actually quite nice."
"Well, ok, but I'd rather go somewhere else."