Chapter 19
Author's Note
Sigh, I couldn't post a chapter last week as it was not ready. Maybe I'll do another double post to make up for last week. Well since I'm doing this, I might as well do this
Disclaimer's Alert!
I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters originally appearing in any of the formats (including print (except this) and video). Yay, for not owning things that don't belong to you!
"I'm not who you think I am," Buck said, renewing his efforts on breaking his bonds. "I'm not this white man you're talking abou..." Buck began before realising that his Stormtrooper gear was white and to make things worse, the red dirt that had previously covered it was gone as he had been bathed in the monster worm's internal digestion juices. This made his armour whiter than a few hours ago. "Whoa, this is not what you think."
"Cannot trick me. White man cannot trick me, white man cannot trick the Cloubits." The small creature said. The word Cloubits made the other creatures shout in unision.
"Cloubits? Is that what you guys are? I-I'm not an enemy of the Cloubits."
"Lie! White man enemies of Cloubits!" The elder creature said.
There was a sudden sound and commotion in the Cloubits settlement. One of their own, stumbled into the village with its arm cut off. The Cloubit stumbled amongst its own kind , before collapsing. Buck saw the blood coming from the small creature and knew instinctively that it was dead.
Buck's death was postponed as they focused on the newly dead Cloubit.
/
"Well done, you killed it." Kisto whispered in disgust as he and Zack were watching the scene unfold from behind their hiding place. They had finally found the Cloubit Zack had disarmed. Initially it was difficult to track it but after it had lost a majority of its blood, it began to slow down, making it easier for the two to find it, assited with the trail of blood its grevious wound left behind.
"It worked, didn't it?" Zack said indifferently. "And look..." Zack said pointing to Buck who was still tied in the middle of the settlement that was dotted with caves that acted as the Cloubits' homes. "We found our trooper."
Kisto looked at Buck. "It looks like he's in trouble."
"Yeah, we need to kill these things and save him." Zack said.
"What? No, we can negotiate with them." Kisto said.
"Negotiate? Look at what they're about to do to Buck," Zack said as the Cloubits began pointing their spears at Buck angrily. "Do those look like creatures that can be reasoned with?"
"That means nothing. I'm not helping you to kill any more of them. We can talk to them." Kisto said.
"You talk to them," Zack said before stepping out of his hiding place and activating his lightsaber, "I'll save Buck."
/
Zack walked into the settlement. The elder Cloubit looked surprisingly at Zack. He ran to the assembled Cloubits. There was clicking and then a few spears were thrown. This forced Zack to dive to the side to dodge the volleys. One of the Cloubits ran to the giant monster worm that was watching everything with interest. The worm rider got onto his monster and directed it to Zack.
Zack dived to the side just before the monster had the chance to eat him. The worm rider threw a spear at Zack, who broke it apart with a swipe of his lightsaber. Zack then leapt into the air with the lightsaber above his head, ready to bring it down on either the worm or its rider. However, Zack was swatted to the side by a white bulbouse tail of the worm.
While all the attention of the Cloubits were on Zack and the battling worm, Kisto snuck behind them to where Buck was.
"Hey," Kisto whispered to Buck, which startled him.
"Kisto! Thank goodness you're here." Buck said as Kisto began working on the bonds. He was able to free one hand and Buck began helping him with the other vine tying him but some of the Cloubits noticed them. "Oh oh!"
One of the Cloubits that spotted him threw a spear at Buck who was still trapped. Buck raised his arm defensively and the spear uselessly broke against the tough, white amrour around his forearm. The Cloubits began charging at them.
"Forget this!" Kisto said before taking out his pistol. He aimed at the rock Buck's arm was tied to and let a shot out. There was a small explosion and Buck was freed.
Regaining full mobility, Buck grabbed a spear that was thrust to his face and punched the Cloubit who had wielded it. The other Cloubits used their spear to take him off his feet at which Kisto had to save him by firing a few warning shots.
Meanwhile, Zack dodged another tail swipe. The worm spat out a ball of green blob which he rolled to the side to dodge the projectile, which exploded on the ground next to him. The creature was able to advance on Zack while he was still getting up. It tried once again to eat Zack but e was able to jump back to avoid its mouth. Zack swiped at its head, opening a wound. The monster reared up and screamed in pain.
Zack gritted his teeth. He charged at the worm that had reared up and exposed its underside. He slashed at the worm's belly which caused it to howl even more in pain before finally dying. The worm rider was thrown off. It was visibly angry that its steed had been killed and grabbed its spear. The Cloubit and Zack circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. A few spears were hurled at Zack by other armed Cloubits but he was able to turn around and cut them in mid-air. This gave the worm rider a chance to strike. Zack turned around, cutting his spear and kicking him in the face.
Zack slowly advanced on the worm rider who was shuffling back on his butt, trying to get away from Zack. The worm rider reached an end when his back hit his dead monster worm. Another Cloubit stepped in front of the worm rider Cloubit. This new Cloubit was not armed but opened its arms wide protectively.
Zack looked at the newcomer as a nuisance and raised his lightsaber over his head, ready to strike the new Cloubit down.
Kisho and Buck had been surrounded by the spear armed Cloubits. "I'm reluctant to kill these things because they seem intelligent. But now, I'm starting to think I don't have a choice."
"Yeah, I don't think we'll have a choice soon." Buck agreed, standing back to back with Kisto.
The elder saw this and said a few commands to his people in his language. Buck and Kisto looked at him with confused expressions on their faces. "We not kill white man and friends. Friends do not kill Cloubits!"
Buck looked towards Zack who was about to kill the Cloubit protecting the worm rider. Zack brought down his lightsaber but stopped inches from the Cloubit's face when he heard Buck shout, "Zack, no!" Zack looked back at Buck who had his hands up. "Zack, I'm okay. There's no need for this."
Zack gritted his teeth but deactivated his lightsaber anyways. "Fine," he said under his breath.
/
"I told you before, we don't mean your people any harm." Buck said to the elder. The three rebels were standing together while the Cloubits surrounded them.
"All white man means us harm." The Cloubit elder said.
"But I don't. I'm not really a white man, I just look like them." Buck said. He saw the disbelief in the elder's face and decided to take off his helmet. The Cloubits all gasped in shock and exchanged words when they saw him take off his helmet. Buck placed the helmet under his arm. "I am different from the other Stromtroopers you have seen."
"Look, his dress sense needs a little work but we can vouch for him." Zack said. The elder Cloubit looked at Zack with a critical eye. "You the reason we don't attack." The elder pointed his small black finger at the lightsaber hanging from the human's hip. "You have weapon of Jedi."
"Can you believe that the people of this backwater planet know what a Jedi is?" Zack whispered to Kisto at his side.
"But you not fight like Jedi." The elder said.
"Yeah? And how would you know how a Jedi fights?" Zack said.
"It was long ago but my old mind remember. Rubit was here when Jedi Windu and Padawan Billaba came here once and saved my people." The elder said. "You not fight like Jedi at all. Too much rage."
"Whatever!" Zack said folding his arms over his chest.
"Sadly we need Jedi for my people are in trouble again." Ther elder said before beckoning the rebels to follow him. The elder Cloubit stopped in front of giant slab of rock with drawings. "My people live in happiness until the white man come." Rubit said gesturing to a drawn picture of figures that looked like Stromtroopers in white armour. "They came to our homes and took it when we refused to move." Cloubit pointed to another picture showing the Stormtroopers firing their weapons at fleeing figures that looked like Cloubits. "All lost their homes, many lost their lives. When they had our home they build the metal tower," Rubit said gesturing to the looming shadow of the Ekadi prison in the far distance. "When they see us, they kill my people."
"Yes, this... white men you're talking about are called Stormtroopers. They form part of an evil organisaition called The Empire" Kisto informed the elder Cloubit. "They are also our enemies. We've come here to stop them."
"To help us?" Rubit said.
"To be honest, we didn't even know that this planet was inhabited." The green Twi'Lek honestly said. "But I don't see any reason why we can't help each other. We share the same enemy."
"Hmm..." Rubit said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He made a sequence of sounds to the village which caused an eruption of noise from the rest of the villagers.
"What's going on?" Buck asked which earned an equally confused shrug from Zack.
The rebels watched as the villagers began speaking to each other. Some of the villagers looked like they were getting ready to fight each other. Rubit calmed them down until there was quiet and only he was speaking before even he went silent. There was a high pitched clicking noise from one of the villagers and it became a domino effect as more of the villagers began joining in, in making the high pitched clicking noise.
Rubit turned to the rebels.
"What's going on?" Zack asked.
"I told my people about you. Some want to help fight, some don't. We make vote to decide what to do."
"And..." Kisto said with great interest. "How did you vote?"
"We will help fight!" Rubit said raising his walking stick into the air which made caused an eruption of clicking noises from all the villagers.
