Hey guys, I'm Danny, the second half of our writing duo. We've been working hard to get this next chapter up on the interwebs, so please be sure to follow and review it. It would mean a lot! Thanks for reading!
He didn't know what just happened. He had no way of explaining it rationally. All that Barrett knew was that they needed to get as far away from Mos Eisley as possible.
After pulling Nina in as the ramp shut closed and hermetically sealed, he bent down to look at her closer as she writhed in pain, gently checking her pulse. Still alive. He slipped the jacket off of her and placed it in a LoungePort chair before setting her down in the one next to it. Then he scrambled toward the cockpit like a bolt of lightning, calling up to his droid.
"Jeight, get us outta here!"
An excited whistle permeated the air as Barrett climbed up the ladder and into the cockpit, where his droid friend had just pulled the ship out of the spaceport. The stormtrooper continued their barrage of blaster bolts, but arms fire would barely damage the deflector shield.
"I'll take it from here, buddy. Good work." Barrett patted R2-J8 on the dome before taking the controls, flying across the desert and back into the Jundland Wastes. No one would find them for now, but word would soon spread of what happened. A stranger drops in on a would-be rape, starts a gunfight to protect the proprietor of the most popular cantina in town, goes on to kidnap the would-be victim (who just so happens to be Chalmun's slave), kills a few Imperial soldiers, and then blasts his way out of Mos Eisley after discovering that his cargo has mystical powers. Chalmun and the surviving stormtroopers would describe his face, his figure, his… Everything. Both parties, Chalmun and the Empire, would probably offer a substantial reward to whoever brought this slave-stealer and soldier-killer to justice, dead or alive.
But for now, Barrett was alive. Jeight was alive. The Gorskin flew true. And the job was done, the most important part. What's more, Barrett kinda liked the girl. She was a bit naive, sure, but she was feisty, and a little mysterious. Pretty easy on the eyes, too. He stopped thinking about her too much, knowing that he wouldn't be with her for much longer. She didn't seem to like him, anyway. Probably never would. But that didn't matter. Soon he would have his money, go incognito for a few months, wait out the bounty hunters and the Empire, maybe pay some people to clear his name, then get back to work. Meanwhile, the Rebellion would take this girl and… Use her for something. Barrett figured it must have something to do with that little stunt she pulled back in Mos Eisley.
R2-J8 whistled and beeped, asking what would be done next.
"Uh, I think we'll set her down on the far edge of the Dune Sea. Doubt the Empire can reach us there," Barrett replied to his little red friend, who let out a whine in response. "Jeight, I think Sand People are the least of my worries right now. Just make sure our sensors are up after we land so we're not ambushed, okay, buddy?"
"Jeight?" Barrett looked over his shoulder for the source of the question, finding that Nina had made her way to the cockpit.
"Good to see you looking normal again, Nathalia…" Barrett said, setting the ship into auto-landing sequence when he reached a desirable location in the barren desert. He stood and indicated to his droid. "Nathalia, R2-J8. Co-pilot, first mate, and friend. Jeight, Nathalia."
Jeight peeped and squeaked a greeting to their newest passenger.
"Where did you hear Nathalia?" She scowled, crossing her thin arms over her chest while watching the man in front of her with fierce eyes, the pain he saw only a few moments ago now completely gone from her demeanor.
"My client gave me your information. That's your name, isn't it? Or did I go all this way for the wrong girl?"
"No, you've got her." She nodded. "I just haven't heard that name in forever. It's Nina, really."
Barrett nodded. "Well, welcome aboard the Gorskin. She'll be your home for as long as you're with us. Feel free to claim any bunk you want in the crew quarters. Also, if you're looking for a more… appropriate outfit, there are some spare clothes in some of the footlockers in crew quarters. If you're facing the ladder, it's the first door on the left. Refresher's the first door on the right. It's just us three aboard. See any strangers, please say something to us." Barrett stated seriously, despite how unrealistic the situation sounded, "I don't think I'm forgetting anything. Jeight?"
A delighted squeak followed. "He says he's glad to have you aboard."
"Polite." She hummed quietly, running a hand through her hair. "Any secret compartments holding aliens I should know about? Or maybe another droid that wants to kill me or two?"
"No, I'm afraid you're the closest thing to cargo we've got today," Barrett replied, smirking. Jeight chuckled.
"How charming…" She mumbled quietly, fingering the bottom of her shorts. Silence fell over the cabin.
"Here, lemme show you around," Barrett offered, rising from the pilot's station and heading over to the ladder, "Jeight, turn on the sensors. Holler if you pick up anything bigger than a womp rat."
"You really don't have a better name for him than the last two letters of his true name?" She smirked as she followed Barrett down the ladder.
"Hey, too many of the little guys go by 'Artoo' as it is," Barrett replied, "and besides, Jeight is special. I fixed him up myself after finding him all banged up in the Coruscant Underworld. Personality matrix and optic sensors were still in tact, but everything else was busted. So, I bought replacement parts, thought it'd be a satisfying weekend hobby to fix up an old astro droid, but before I knew it I was up late one night putting on the finishing touches on him. Even painted the chassis and dome myself. Not my best work, the paint-job, but hey, I tried. Now, come years later, he's the closest thing to a friend I've got in the whole galaxy, and that suits me fine."
Nina crossed her arms over her chest, following the man through the ship. "Whatever makes you sleep at night, buddy."
"Those doors at each end past the crew quarters are the engine rooms, not too much to see. Head past the exit ramp, got the LoungePort. Folks who don't like the cockpit or talk too much usually spend the trip here. That big machine in the middle is the reactor core, powers everything on this ship. The two big doors on either side opposite the reactor lead to cargo holds and lifts, the two doors facing diagonally on the stern side are escape pods, and on the other side of the reactor, we've got a repair bay and an engineering station. Two doors opposite this are for miscellaneous storage, and what is usually the stern viewport in the factory versions of the Class 720 has been modified into a stern remote laser turret that can be operated here or at the gunner's station in the cockpit. There are similar remote turrets on the starboard and port sides, and… I think that's all you need to know. Any questions?" Barrett leaned up against a wall, his arms folded across his chest.
"Science, machines, and other stuff I know nothing about. Cool. " Nina drawled as they ended the short tour. "But, by the way..."
The man looked back up to the scantily clad woman. "Yeah?"
She seemed to take a deep breath, preparing herself for the words she was about to say. "Thanks, I guess. For saving me out there. I would've been in a much stickier situation if you hadn't showed up."
"Don't mention it. It didn't exactly go as smooth as I'd hoped, but…" Barrett chuckled as he stood up straight. "Come on, let's get you to crew quarters. You must be exhausted. At least, I know I am."
"Oh, yeah. Sounds good." She nodded, her hand going towards the thick braid down her back and bringing it over her shoulder. "Where did you say the refresher was?"
"First door on the right," Barrett said, pointing down the hallway towards the starboard engine room.
"And extra outfits in the footlockers in the crew quarters, right?"
"I'll just get one for you while you freshen up. No pun intended."
"Oh God," She giggled, running a free hand through her bangs and looking at him through the fallen locks of hair. She did that often, he noticed. Ran a hand through those curly auburn locks and let them fall carelessly over her face. "Do you do that often?"
"What, give girls clothes? Not very often. Make puns? I usually keep them to myself, so don't worry." He smiled, watching those grey eyes roll at him, and ignoring the twinge of happiness it brought him.
"Oh, great, I have a terrible joker in my midst." Nina laughed.
Barrett scoffed. "Terrible? My jokes are not terrible." He said, wandering the opposite direction to find a uniform that might fit her.
This one's short and sweet for today, but Alice or I will post the next chapter very soon.
And just so you all know, the 'Gorskin' is named after a species of giant turtles in the Star Wars universe, since Barrett's ship looks like a turtle. I know it sounds funny, but I wanted to name it after something turtle-esque from Star Wars.
Anyways, don't forget to follow and review. Thank you for reading, and may the Force be with you!