Chapter 21 – You're My Only Hope
"I am sorry," murmured the twi'lek, looking down.
"Hey." Corso's voice was firm. He reached under her chin, and gently tilted her head back up. "Y'got nothin' to be sorry for. Captain gets in a mood sometimes. It's kinda like a sandstorm, actually. Best thing for it is to keep your mouth shut and wait for it to blow over." She nodded, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, if you think you can stand up, we'll get on outta here."
That was apparently the wrong thing to say, as her eyes widened again in fear. "No," she said firmly, although her voice trembled. "I can't."
It wasn't the response he expected. His brows pulled together as he looked at her. "The slavers are gone, but there might be backup comin'. An' it ain't that far to Mos Anek. I know Tatooine's inhospitable, but you should be healed up good enough to make it there safely."
Her head whipped back and forth, lekku swaying behind her. "I can't," she said again, the tightness in her throat pinching each word. "I'd rather die here. Please – please don't send me to Mos Anek!"
"Okay – shh, it's going to be okay…" He took her hand again, twining his fingers with hers. "We'll figure somethin' else out. I promise."
Still trembling faintly, she blinked up at him, searching his expression for any hint of a trap. But the soft kindness in his gaze was too much, and with a choked sob, she buried her face in the side of his neck, weeping silently.
He sat there without moving for the space of a few seconds. Then, letting out an uncertain breath, he untangled his hand from hers and reached up, gently brushing his fingers along the smooth, ruddy skin of her arm. "It's going to be all right. You're safe now." He wasn't sure why she was so terrified, but after all, it didn't much matter.
Because whoever or whatever it was would never, ever hurt her again.
It took a few minutes, but eventually the woman in Corso's arms relaxed against him. "Hey," he murmured again. "You okay?"
She let out a snuffly-sounding laugh. "I am." A hesitant smile pulled at her lips when she looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I think I kind of … leaked onto you."
He tilted his head forward, bumping her forehead with his. "Don't worry about it. It's kind of hard to stay flower-fresh on this planet anyhow." He grinned back at her, shifting up to one knee. "The captain and I are planning to head back to a Republic base. Would that be all right?"
Still smiling up at him, she nodded wordlessly.
Thank goodness for small favors, Corso thought to himself. He got up, then offered her his hands and tried to avoid looking down at her admittedly well-formed figure as she stood also. "Well then, seein' as we'll be travelin' together, I figure I best introduce myself. M'name's Corso Riggs, and…. uh… yeah." He let go of her hands, reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck with an awkward laugh.
Just then a sharp voice interrupted them. "Hey in there! Get a move on – we're 'bout to have company!"
Corso looked back at the twi'lek. "C'mon, then. The Republic outpost is a bit farther than Mos Anek, so we better get going while we can. I'm not overfond of Imperials myself." He breathed a sigh of relief as she headed out of the cargo hold into the blinding sunlight.
Vacy was there waiting for them, seated astride the speeder. Noticing that the lethan stayed close to Corso rather than heading up the road to Anek, the captain frowned a bit. "Uh, Riggs? What gives?"
"Mos Anek isn't gonna work, Captain. She needs to get back to Varada too. I figure she can ride with you an' I'll walk. Catch up to you in a bit. It ain't far."
The way he put it made it seem quite reasonable, but the smuggler frowned. After a moment's thought, she shook her head, cut the power to the vehicle, and hopped down. "Better if the two of you take the speeder and I walk," she said firmly.
Corso scowled. "Not a chance. I ain't just leavin' you to wander 'round in the middle of the desert without any backup!"
One dark brow arched. "Oh, what, and you think she's gonna help keep me safe?" Vacy scoffed. "I'll keep stealthed. Something happens, I'll be better off by myself than if I've gotta worry about somebody else as well anyhow. You're the better pick for a bodyguard, an' we both know it." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Just quit gunnin' the thrusters. Specially around here – kicks up even more sand that way, an' I'm not lookin' forward to buyin' any more replacement parts from a jawa than I absolutely have to."
Still frowning, he stepped toward her. "I still don't like it," he said. "How about-"
She cut him off before he could continue. "Well, fortunately, I ain't asking you to like it. However, I will give you my word that I'll head straight back to Varada, and I promise I'll keep well away from anything that looks even the slightest bit animate. Won't even go pickin' around scrap, okay?"
He didn't seem entirely convinced, but with a sigh, stepped up onto the speeder and powered up the repulsors. "I don't recollect a cantina at the outpost. Where should I wait for ya?" he asked.
Vacy shook her head as she helped the twi'lek carefully situate herself upon the small bit of seat that was left. "Eh, I dunno that you need to. Just go on to Anchorhead; I'll see you back at the ship." She let go and stepped back, and with a gasp, the lethan wrapped her arms around Corso tightly.
"Whups! You all right there, ma'am?" he asked with a chuckle, the very picture of a properly solicitous gentleman.
At her responding laugh, Vacy rolled her eyes and activated her stealth belt. "Riggs, you might wanna scoot up a bit. It'd be a shame if you dumped her in the sand."
Corso shifted forward as much as he could without falling off the front of the seat. He looked over his shoulder and grinned, his smile bright against his tan skin. "Full speed ahead!" And with a rev of the thrusters that kicked sand up everywhere, they sped off.
Spitting grit out of her mouth as best she could, Vacy sighed. "I really, really hate Tatooine."