Humility is the only defense against humiliation.
Kidnapping! Due to his curiosity, Santal Shan is trapped on the ship of the hitman Cad Bane, responsible for the death of her parents. Now the villain, seeking to cash in on a three-year-old girl, decides to go to the planet Tatooine in order to sell a possible youngling to the one who pays the most. Will the baby be able to escape from captivity? Or will the story end before it begins?
Santal woke up in a dark room on an old couch. My head ached a little. The girl sighed and sat up.
What happened to her? How did she get here? The events of the crazy night immediately began to spin in my memory: two white lights, a blue one in a hat, a man in a hood, a conversation, she was grabbed ...
Then she pushed the man when he said that he wanted to give her somewhere. But how?! Where does this power come from? How did she do it?
Most importantly, is she on the couch now? She was in another place. Why was it moved? And why is there some kind of red liquid on the finger?
Reflections were interrupted by a sound very similar to ... steps! Santal quickly lay back on her left side and closed her eyes. As if sleeping. Door opened. The girl's soul sank into her heels with fear. Santal froze and closed her eyes tightly. She began to wait. Yesterday's man - who else? - went very close to the baby and gently shook her shoulder:
- Get up, little girl.
Cad Bane was in the best of spirits. He successfully completed the order and received a reward. Everything as usual. Nothing special. When you are one of the most successful mercenaries and you are constantly lucky, and things are arguing, you get used to it. And you are not very happy about success. You think it turned out the way it should have turned out. No options. But not at this time.
Even when communicating with the customer, the duros felt that someone was watching him. On the ship, I noticed that something was wrong with the cloak. And when the client turned his back, he looked closely there was another pair of legs under the cloak. Outsiders. You have to be a complete fool to decide that the other person has two pairs of legs. They are different.
Interestingly, if you look from afar, it seems as if the cloak is fluttering in the wind. But there was no wind. There were little legs. And, as it turned out later, belonged to a little girl. Cad, guided by the eye, gave her three to four years. Not more. The face is pretty cute. Albeit ordinary, but very pretty. I just wanted to pat on the cheek. And in the end he could not resist. It is immediately clear that the baby will become beautiful when she grows up.
But appearances are often deceiving. And the Duros knew it very well. So, when dragging the child to the ship, he was careful. Suddenly this child is not a child, but clowd, for example. Or just sent to spy for a fee. Or maybe not. The hunter remembered how the little bastard tried to bite him. It is clear that the girl has character. And, judging by the behavior, absolutely does not pretend. A real child.
Duros, however, decided to double-check for his own peace of mind. Rechecked. Indeed, a three-year-old human girl. Blood confirms.
Although I thought at first that this was not necessary. Well, seriously, it doesn't smell like pretense. It is impossible to pretend to be like that. It's played too well. If a spy, then clearly a professional. Dressed in a nightgown and simple shoes. Nothing special. Most likely, she is a homeless girl or just loves to walk at night.
Another person would question the child and take him home. Or just drove away, at worst. But Duros was not. He didn't need witnesses. Even so small and innocent. None. And you can't help leaving traces. This he learned a long time ago.
Basically, Kad had two ideas. The first is to sell the child into slavery to the one who pays the most. The second is to demand a ransom from the parents. Not small. If they care about their daughter, they will fork out. If not, you can easily throw it into space or sell it again. Based on reflections, the duros settled on the most optimal option - a sale on Tatooine, Nal Hatta, Nar Shaddaa. Someone will definitely pay.
Thinking about the enrichment to come, Kad's mood improved as much as possible. The corners of the lips pulled up. Having reached the right door, he opened it and saw that the girl was still asleep. Sitting carefully on the edge, the hunter began to shake gently.
Get up, little girl.
Santal tried not to react to rudeness or touch. Not that it was unpleasant.
There was a sudden click. The girl jumped up, turning at the sound. The man was holding in his right hand some strange thing called a blaster. Of course, Santal did not know that this thing was called that. But some sixth sense told her that she might be dangerous. On the other hand, Santal really wanted to hold this thing in his hands. Disassemble. But I was afraid to ask. Suddenly it won't.
Finally. I was going to wake you up in a different way. Blue-skinned slightly turned the thing and somehow secured it to his thigh.
Take what you want! Just don't hit me! Sorry! - cried the girl, frightened to death.
For what? - answered the man, genuinely surprised. "You're not the first one to bite me. Although you're right, you better not rock the boat again.
Well no! Although yes, but ... Sorry to push.
The Duros was even more surprised at this. Santal thought his brow ridges had risen.
When did you push me? You tried to bite my hand a couple of times. And then she fell asleep.
True? - Santal asked, completely not believing in what was said.
Looks like I'm joking?
The girl scrolled the information slowly in her head. So she dreamed everything?
So it was a dream?
The man only nodded in response. Santal breathed a sigh of relief. However, the joy quickly faded away. She suddenly remembered that the stranger wanted to "give her" somewhere. Or whatever. So I decided to start the same song again.
Please bring me home! Return! Let go! I will not tell anyone! Santal went as far as trying to make her eyebrows a house. I thought it would.
But no. The uncle did not even take an absent ear.
I already explained. You spied on me. I don't like that. And further, further, further ...
Cad had no desire to chew on his principles a second time to some girl. Anyway, he is not obliged to explain the victim's motives! You are the one to blame! There is no need to walk at night!
On the other hand, it does the right thing. Help one Duros cash in. Ordinary girl or not. No difference. He immediately remembered the test: he carefully pricked his finger and recognized the color of the blood. That's all. Unfortunately, Bane did not have the equipment to make more accurate analyzes. There was no need to buy. As luck would have it! Well, okay. He will earn as much as he can. Spit. There will be many more orders and generous fees in his life.
Duros walked out the door, not paying the slightest attention to the pleading and crying of the little child.
Santal wept a little more, and then went to the door. And yet this is not a dream! The push is a dream, and everything else is not! And why did she just go? I would be at home now. Warm. With my aunt and uncle. And now ... she doesn't know what awaits her! She will be brought to it is not clear where, and then everyone. The end. She will never see her home again! The girl from such thoughts became unbearable to sit locked in four walls. Ah, if she could just be outside for a start!
At that moment, a slight electrical impulse passed through the girl's right hand, with which she touched the cold metal. Door opened. As if someone from above heard Santal and fulfilled her request. The girl was delighted and left. Turned left. She decided to first examine everything around and understand what and how. And where is the exit.
Having no other ideas, Santal began to enter every room. And what can we say, she really liked the excursion, despite the fact that she herself was a guide. But there were also disadvantages. Some rooms were closed. And those that turned out to be discovered contained many amazing things, the names of most of which she did not know. It's no one's fault that they didn't tell her anything about all this. Neither aunt, nor uncle, nobody.
There was nothing special in the first room next door. Some boxes. In the second it was already more interesting and incomprehensible. It was a very large room. An entire armory. If one of the adults looked in there, he would have decided that the ship belongs to a war veteran, or a spy, or a hunter. In the latter case, he would be right. Blaster rifles, pistols, heavy artillery and other weapons. And most importantly, everything is arranged in a certain order. No mess. Nothing extra.
Then Santal found herself either in the dining room or in the kitchen. At this moment, the stomach rumbled. Santal remembered that she had not eaten anything since the evening, and decided to look for at least something edible. A can on a table came into view. The girl remembered how the stranger opened and drank from it.
- What if I have a drink too? Santal said to herself. - Why not? Uncle drank. It will work for him, will do for me. But the smell is awful. Well, okay. Maybe it tastes better. At least I won't die of hunger.
Another reason for the girl's determination was that her aunt often fed her mushrooms, mold and ricrit meat. Not everyone likes this kind of food. But not the Rylotyanka. Although Santal was not a Twi'lek, she lived on Ryloth from early childhood and managed to get used to the way of life there. Namely, the climate, food and some customs.
The girl climbed up on a chair, reached for the can and drank a little. Well, disgusting! Santal grimaced and gently spat it back into the jar. The horror is simple! Impossible to drink! As soon as the uncle himself did not choke! Maybe I'm used to it? HM interesting.
Perhaps repeated use will reduce the effect? It got much worse. The smell is awful. The taste is bitter. The foam is thick, white. Discomfort in the throat and abdomen. This she had not expected, as well as the next problem.
Nausea began. Santal was already worried, covering her mouth with her hand. It will be good if it gets dirty floor. Most of all, she was afraid that the stranger would hit her. Or worse, she'll never see the family. Despite her difference from her uncle and aunt, she still loved them and considered them close.
Suddenly a thought flashed through the girl's mind. Restroom! There must be a toilet somewhere nearby!
But how do you find it? Itself will search for a long time - it is clear as day. But my uncle probably knows. But the question is - where is he? In the end, everything goes to one. She does not want to be seen by a stranger, and she will not be able to escape quietly. At the moment, he can or should help her.
There was the sound of a door opening. The girl shuddered. Everything inside went cold. Santal turned around and calmed down. Desires are able to be embodied in reality, who would have thought.
- You?! How did you end up here ?! - Uncle looked so menacingly that the girl almost had incontinence. "The door was open," Santal replied, seriously frightened and even forgetting where she needed to go.
True, for a second. The nausea started to get worse. Two main thoughts prevailed in Santal's head: she was
sick and afraid that her uncle would do something terrible to her. But a moment later, a third, saving thought appeared. Santal needs to somehow distract him from his plans for her. The girl put her legs together and began to dance.
-What are you doing? "Duros didn't know what it was at first, but he did it quickly. The pose is too obvious. But this does not mean that he does not know the answer to the question asked.
Bane already had some guesses to check. But not right now. First, you need to take the child to relieve himself. The man grabbed the girl across the body. It would be better if he didn't!
Santal felt her long fingers pressing against her stomach. In a few seconds, the hunter's entire face was in vomit. I even got a little hit on my chest. For about two minutes, maybe more, the duros frowned at the girl, who could not stand the ridiculous appearance of the stranger and laughed.
Very funny. Duros expressed his opinion of what had happened in a dry voice.
Uncle, you are so funny! - the girl explained through laughter.
At that moment, Cad noticed that the can of beer - and there it was - was not the same as he had left it. Here, in his place, anyone would add two and two. Almost.
Did you drink? - The man put Santal on the floor and, taking out a towel, began to dry himself.
Quite a bit. I've been very h-h-h-hungry all the time. And you too d-d-drank I thought it meant that I, too, could, "the girl answered in a trembling voice. Duros, upon hearing this explanation, wanted to put his hand to his face. What an idiot!
You're an idiot! The words burst out before he realized what he had said aloud. - If you really are a child
... First you go for a walk at night, although you should sleep. You overhear other people's conversations, as if you do not know that you cannot behave this way. And now I drank the liquid left on the table. Don't your parents teach you anything?
Santal has never felt as bad as she does now. Not only because she was scolded by a stranger. In her opinion, he had no right to do so! She also felt like a knife had been stabbed into her. Uncle, without knowing it, touched her most sore spot.
I do not have parents. They were killed by hunters. That's what my aunt says. But I do not believe. - Tears began to form in the girl's eyes. She wanted to add that they were Jedi, but she remembered that her aunt had strictly ordered not to tell anyone about it. - And generally speaking! Cried Santal with such fervor, as if she thought that the stranger did not hear her. Immediately lowered her voice: - I could not sleep, and then I saw white lights. I decided to see what it was, then I saw you. I wanted to inspect the place where you came from. I am by accident. I wanted to know everything. Forgive my curiosity.
Santal again tried to build an angelic face. She even got into a characteristic pose. But no! Duros cannot be penetrated by that.
"They were the headlights of my ship. Got it? Okay, that's it. We are already approaching Tatooine.
Someone will buy you for sure.
Hearing the familiar word, Santal clung to the man's leg.
"Don't go to Tatooine! My aunt told me that giant evil slugs live there. They'll eat me! - begged the girl. - Lick and eat!
- Nobody asks you! And in general, you had to think before! Clear?
Hearing about the orphanhood of the child, the duros felt like a needle pricked in the chest area. Looking at the girl, Bane thought, "Pretty. Simple and naive so much that I even feel sorry for this silly thing. One can only envy and wish that it stayed so long. Then he will enrich someone else.
And then he shook himself from thinking. Until that day, in his entire career, the hunter had never allowed himself such ridiculous sentimental thoughts. Except for the last one. So, what is he? Still young, and already beginning to lose his grip ?! Well no! Will not work! Some little Ryloth to pity him! It is not permissible for someone like him to be soft, so you need to make some bloody order to keep your mind clear.
In general, in general, Duros Santal for all the time managed to get tired of the order with her curiosity and plaintive squeak. Endless "Please! Take me home! Let go! " still rang in my head. The man sighed. The sooner he gets rid of the splinter and gets the money, the better. She wanted to see the lights. No wonder they say: "A curious creature in the market was torn off its head."
Cad landed the ship near one of the Hutts. To prevent the girl from escaping, the man grabbed her by the collar and carried her to the outskirts of the city.
Santal, afraid that something terrible would happen to her again, hung at first at attention. She pretended to submit to her unenviable fate. But after about half an hour she began to rock the boat. Stronger and stronger every two minutes. I
n the end, Bane got tired of it, and he grabbed the child around the torso, hugging him to him. And in vain. After all, when Santal tasted the beer for the second time, she took too long a sip. So, the girl vomited a second time. Only much less.
As a result, the man simply held the child's hand. And everything would have been nothing, only Santal separated from the stranger, as soon as they got into the crowd. When the girl woke up, she saw that she was standing all alone. The man in the hat was nowhere to be seen. There are only strangers around. How many different faces. The girl was scared in earnest. His eyes flickered in the hope that the man noticed Santal's absence and was looking for her, calling. Santal caught herself immediately. He doesn't know her name! What a fool! You should at least give a name! Tears streamed down my cheeks. Covering her face with her hands, the girl ran into some gateway and hid in a corner.
The situation was truly dire. On Tatooine, in one of his cities, in a back street, under the bright scorching suns, sat a little three-year-old girl, absolutely nothing. She had nowhere to go. She was even ready for her aunt to appear and scold around the clock. Why, she was ready to listen to moral teachings for eternity, just to return home. But it was impossible to carry out the baby's plan. There was only one thing left - to disappear!
Bane did not immediately notice the absence of the child. But, as soon as he discovered the loss, cursing everyone and everything, he began to search, while imagining that the piglet was sitting somewhere and crying. In his opinion, all children are like that.
The man remembered that he did not know the girl's name. However, I was not particularly upset. You can simply describe it and they will tell you whether you saw it or not.
The comlink suddenly rang. This was a new customer - the head of the Rations Syndicate.
"Cad Bane, I need your services.
- I'm listening.
The man listened to the video message and went to a meeting with the customer, as he needed details and some necessary things to complete the task. And the hunter forgot to think about the girl in a minute. I got away with it, so be it. All the same, one will not survive, and the information she heard will die with her.
And Santal, having cried a lot, went to wander aimlessly. The walk was hard, in part because my stomach ached so badly from hunger. She had no money, and she did not know yet that in order to eat she had to pay. Therefore, I was very surprised when, by a happy coincidence, hitting the market, I heard a request for eight loans. Frightened by the unknown word, Santal gave a streak. Moreover, she received a portion of abuse in the back.
Therefore, the girl came up with another way: carefully grab one piece of something edible on the counter and run until they noticed. It seemed like a wonderful idea to her. Firstly, her aunt never explained to her that she shouldn't do that. And secondly, she was hungry!
By evening, after practicing, the girl was able to eat a few fruits and something else tasty. Silenok increased, and it was possible to get out. When it got colder, Santal saw several cars, somewhat similar to the one in which she was brought here. Having walked around the place twice, she did not see a single representative of her homeland. Therefore, she chose a ship at random, in her opinion, more beautiful than others. The door was open, and two green-skinned creatures with unusual eyes and lips with a tube walked back and forth through it. One brought in the boxes, and the other - with blue pigmentation - pointed his finger at a rectangular thin piece.
Realizing that this was her chance, Santal imperceptibly buried herself in a box and fell silent. They lifted the box and carried it inside. As soon as it became clear that the ship had taken off, the girl calmed down. She will return home! If not immediately, but in the end it will get to Ryloth, no matter how long it takes! She swears it! Or is she not Santal Sabura!
Only by clearly pronouncing this phrase to herself, the girl realized how proud it sounds! She would have screamed the name out loud, but she remembered where she was and bit her tongue in time. The girl was glad for another reason. It was not sold. She ran away from the bad guy. It was only then that she remembered that she didn't know his name either. And she herself did not say the name, and at uncle did not ask. She fled from Tatooine without being caught by the scary evil slugs. Aunt would be proud.
Santal Sabura didn't notice as she dozed off.