Chapter 30 – Shuffle Up and Deal

[Author's note: I can't thank Nerica enough for listening to me whine about how I can't come up with ideas! Vacy needs to be a bit more careful about hiding her feelings, because Risha isn't the only one who's starting to figure things out...]

The nikto was shaking his head. "I hate fights," he grumbled as Risha leaned against the bar. "They run off to get patched up and leave the mess behind. And who do you think has to clean it up?"

Vacy had her game face on again. "Poor Tookie," she cooed, hopping up onto a barstool. "Well, that's why you make the big credits!"

Tookreek snorted derisively. "We're under attack by some kinda militia group on top of this. Last week they attacked our warehouse. Killed everyone, and took the ciphered holocom we need to contact Diago Hixan."

Sighing, Vacy put a hand to her forehead. "Botheration. They couldn't've waited one lousy week? Ugh."

But Tookreek just shook his head. "I was gonna send those goons to get it but … I don't think they're gonna be on friendly terms with me for awhile." He looked to Risha and shrugged. "You want that navcomputer you came for? Get me that com."

As the bartender walked over toward another customer, Vacy scrunched her face in frustration, massaging the furrow between her eyebrows. "I know I said we'd come in here and relax a bit, but I kind of don't want to lose any more time on that lead than we already have." Frowning in thought, she bit down on her lower lip out of habit, then winced as her lip split open again. She turned, looking over her shoulder at where Corso was sitting with the girl, the two of them leaning close and laughing together.

Risha reached over and snapped her fingers in front of Vacy's wistful, uncertain expression. "Uh-uh. No way, boss. If you need backup, you take the big guy along with you. I might tease Mouse quite a bit, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be mean enough to get in his way?"

Vacy blinked and straightened up. "What? No, I mean, I was just trying to figure out whether I should wait until later!" She forced a grin and shrugged a bit, nodding her head in Corso's direction. "Never thought we'd see that, y'know?" With a chuckle, she mocked wiping at her eyes. "Looks like our farm boy is finally becoming a real spacer."

A devilish grin pulled at Risha's mouth. "Oh, I don't think he's quite there yet," she murmured, laughing as well. "But I'd be surprised if he didn't get his blaster polished tonight, if you know what I mean."

Vacy's already-tight expression froze completely for just a split second. Then she rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Rish! I don't need to think about the details." She turned quickly to Bowdaar. "Well, how about it? I can probably take on a bunch of bandits myself, but I wouldn't mind having some help. You mind coming along?"

The wookiee nodded slowly. "I would be glad to help you," he rumbled.

So after a brief farewell, Risha watched her crewmates head out of the cantina. And she was somewhat impressed that neither of them looked back – not even once.

They walked through the sweltering heat in heavy silence. Vacy silently grumbled to herself that it was awfully inconvenient of Corso to decide to begin his foolishness NOW. Couldn't he have waited until they were someplace less uncomfortable?

She kicked at a particularly annoying mound of sand, which exploded in a feathery puff onto her boot. Or, heck, even just until they'd gotten the treasure and she could actually afford a bigger speeder!

Beside her, Bowdaar chuffed. "You seem troubled."

Guilt stabbed at her for her selfishness. It wasn't really fair to inflict her mood on Bowdaar when he was coming along to help out. She took a breath and let out a long sigh. "Well, I don't like Tatooine. It's hot and stuffy and the glare makes my head ache."

When the wookiee simply continued to walk beside her silently rather than replying, she lifted her shoulders as though in protest. "I'm sorry. There's not really any point in complaining about it, you know? Not like what I think is gonna change anything. Might as well just shut up an' accept it."

He rumbled somewhat thoughtfully. "Do you believe your feelings do not matter, Small One?"

Vacy was about to bite her lip, then thought better of it. "Well – no – that isn't quite what I meant. More that if it's not gonna change anything, why bother complaining? Just a waste of breath – and it can't be much fun for you to put up with either," she added with a wry grin.

His expression unchanged, he looked down at her with those large dark eyes that were so hard for her to read and huffed a little. "What makes you so certain there is nothing that can be done?"

That caught her off guard, and she frowned, pressing her lips firmly against each other as she pondered his question. "I – well – it's not something I can control," she finally replied, her voice quiet and faintly sad. "It's not up to me. I just… I just have to accept it."

She stumbled a bit when he clapped her on the shoulder, and looked up to see him chuckling. "Perhaps you cannot change the situation, but you always have a choice in how you respond to it. What you do, how you act? That is always something you can control."

Peering at him, she shook her head. "But how I act … I mean … I can't see anything that I could do that would make things any better."

He gestured to a narrow alleyway. Despite the glare of the suns, the height of the buildings on either side made the path between them shaded. "If we continue our search through there rather than along the main road, it should provide some relief."

Vacy blinked in confusion. "Wait. What?"

Bowdaar nodded toward the alley again. "It may not be comfortable, exactly, but it's likely to be more so than out here in the direct sun."

"Oh." Vacy blinked again, and started making her way in that direction. "Right. Of course. I just … sorry. Yeah. That makes sense."

Chuckling quietly, Bowdaar followed her. "There is always a choice, Small One. Do not forget that."

[Author's Note: Ahh, subtext. How I love you. Stay tuned, readers! :D]