Killian of Earth Chapter 2, a star wars fanfic

Chapter Two

Not much was said the following day as they awoke, made a quick meal, and continued towards Anzati, though the three did occasionally shoot Killian glances as he put his shirt back on, thankfully dry. Finally, after an hour of walking in silence, Killian stopped and called at them.

"Hey, um, Terra, Argyle?"

They stopped and turned to him with worried expressions, making him feel even worse.

"You don't have to walk on eggshells around me, you know," he said, his gaze fixed on them, determined. "It's just…I'm used to people looking at me with pity, I've been used to it for a long time, and I like you guys, I know we have only known each other a day, but I do. And the way you keep shooting me glances reminds me of back home, so could you just pretend you didn't see my body last night?"

The two Twi'lek exchanged a glance for a moment before Terra approached him and bent down on one knee to face him, laying her rifle next to them.

"We can never forget what we saw last night, Killian," she said softly, making him look down in sadness for a moment before she put her hand under his chin and raised his head to look at her, and continued. "No child should ever have to experience what you went through, and I am so sorry that you did. Some people are just cruel; there's no reason for it, no explanation that can justify their behavior; believe me, when I say that were that evil witch here before us, I would enjoy teaching her the error of her ways."

"As would I," Argyle added with an angry nod.

"But you are not a victim, little one," she continued softly, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You are a little warrior in the making, forged in fire, remember that."

"I'm a warrior?" Killian said in confusion, "But aren't warriors supposed to be strong and stuff? I've never even been in a fight. I mean, look at me!"

"Ah, but you have, Killian," Terra said warmly. "You fought when that evil witch tried to break your spirit with her tortures, most children would have broken under what you went through, and yet you did not."

Tears sprang at the compliment, and Killian angrily rubbed his eyes; he had cried enough and was sick of it; it seemed to be all he did lately.

"And you needn't worry about not being big and strong; that will come in time, I promise," Terra added with a smile.

"I can understand your feelings, Killian," Argyle said gruffly. "No one wants to be seen as a victim, so while we cannot forget what I have seen, we will at least try and make you feel less like one, fair enough?"

"Fair enough," Killian said with a warm smile, which to his surprise, Argyle returned.

"Now, let's get moving; we still have a long way to go," Terra said, picking up her rifle and rising to her feet.

"How come you landed so far away?" Killian asked as they began walking again, hoping to change the subject from him and keep the conversation going.

"The refugee ship we were on landed at the capital. We were hoping to find someone to take us to Anzati once we got here, but unfortunately, no luck," Argyle said with some annoyance.

"I'm sorry," Killian said with sympathy.

"Don't be," Terra smiled back at him. "If we had, we would never have found you, and who knows what would have happened, then."

Killian grinned at that, and the air around them became significantly warmer, the tension appearing to vanish.

Aola fell back and began to walk next to Killian, making him smile with genuine happiness as she started to ask questions. At first, Terra and Argyle watched warily, in case she said something she shouldn't, but gradually, the two were left to their own conversations as the day moved on. By the time they stopped for lunch, the two were becoming fast friends; Killian, who had never really had a friend before, found he was enjoying the new experience, and so too was Aola, from what he could tell.

"Know any good stories?" Aola asked as they ate the strange food Terra made for them; it wasn't bad, just different. He noted that it resembled chicken, but he was sure it wasn't.

Wracking his brain for a moment, he nodded, remembering that no one here had heard any of the stories from the Earth, so he had thousands that he could tell. "I could make a fortune as an author," he thought with a silent laugh.

"Yeah, this one is called 'Beauty & the Beast'" Aola grinned at the name and scooted closer, and to his surprise, he noticed that Terra and Argyle were listening as well. So, with a smile, he began to recite the story.

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At the end of it, Aola smiled with pleasure as they got ready to move on again, Argyle shaking his head with a laugh. "It's a good tale; I'll give you that," He said, shouldering his pack. "That Gaston fellow was a nasty fool, reminded me of a few people I know, obsessed with always being the best and always winning, they never really end well. But it seemed a bit silly if you ask me, the prince being turned into a beast and what-not."

"I liked it," Aola said defiantly. "Belle saved him with true love's kiss; it's so romantic."

"Well, you won't be getting any of those for a very long time," he said with a grimace, making Aola giggle for a moment.

"It was a beautiful story," Terra agreed as they began to walk. "Where did you hear it?"

"When I was in the foster home, there was a book of fairy tales; sometimes when I was left alone, I'd read them to myself," Killian lied. But, of course, he couldn't very well tell them about Disney, could he?

"Know any more?" Aola said eagerly, falling into place next to him

"Might as well," Argyle called back. "It'll give us something to listen to while we walk.

Killian nodded for a moment before choosing one and began to recite, happy that his eidetic memory was proving valuable for once.

"Okay, this one is called 'The little mermaid'"

"What's a mermaid?" Aola asked quickly

"It's a beautiful woman who is human from the waist up and fish from the waist down," Killian answered, making her gasp in surprise.

"You mean a Melodie," Terra said, turning her head to call back

"Melodie?" Killian said, confused; he'd not heard of that particular species in the Star Wars mythos.

"They live on Yavin 8," Argyle said, making Terra nod in agreement.

"Oh, well then, I guess the author messed up the name," Killian said after a moment of surprised silence.

"Well, go on, then. Tell the story!" Aola cried excitedly.

Killian began to recite with a smile, the sun shining down on them warmly.

By the time they stopped for the night, Killian was almost grateful to be allowed to rest his voice. He had told Aola the stories of The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Monster's Inc, 101 Dalmatians, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, Bambi, Brother Bear, Pocahontas, and Cinderella. He was finishing Alice in Wonderland when Terra started the fire, and they all sat down for dinner.

"And then Alice woke up, realizing it was all a dream and she was safe and sound, her cat Dinah, still in her lap. So, she picked her up and went home, because she was very late for tea, the end," Killian said, his voice cracking from overuse,

"I liked that one," Aola said happily, "Much better than Cinderella. Who marries someone just because her foot fits into a shoe?" Killian snorted at that but could not counter her logic

"I especially liked the way you described Wonderland," she added, her lekku shaking with happiness. "It sounds like an amazing world."

"Sounds like a mental asylum, is more like it," Argyle said with a chuckle as he passed around that evening's meal, which consisted of some kind of grey meat with greens. "Cards that can talk, a murder-happy queen, a never-ending tea party with a mad man and a talking rabbit, no wonder kids today are so messed up if they got stories like that to entertain them."

Terra smiled a bit at that. "At least it was better than that story about the puppies. Who makes a coat like that? Awful woman, simply awful."

"Know any more?" Aola asked excitedly

"Aren't you sick of them yet?" Killian laughed back, to which she happily shook her head, her lekku whipping back and forth.

"That's enough for tonight," Argyle said, to which Killian nodded his thanks, unseen by Aola. "We'll reach Anzati by noon tomorrow. Then, if luck is with us, we will have our ship back."

"What if he's not there, Argyle?" Terra asked, suddenly serious "You know what will happen if we don't retrieve our armor. What if he sold it?"

"Not likely," Argyle scoffed. "The compartment it's in can only be opened by either you or me, remember?"

"There are ways around that, though," Terra countered darkly

"Yes," Argyle agreed, "But those ways require credits that Dex doesn't have at the moment. According to our information, this is where he's been since he stole our ship in the first place."

"I hope you're right."

"Armor?" Killian thought as he listened intently, "I wonder what they mean by armor?"

"So, now it's off to bed with the two of you," Terra said, quickly changing the subject.

"I want you both to get plenty of rest tonight, tomorrow will be a long day, and we can't have you two, too tired."

"Aw, mom, can't I have one more story?" Aola begged as Terra collected the plates.

Behind her, Killian shook his head pleadingly, making Terra have to fight a grin that suddenly struck her.

"Not tonight, Aola. Poor Killian's voice will be nearly gone at this rate"

Aola turned to look at him, then, her lekku dropping sadly.

"Sorry, Killian," she said, guilt written all over her face

"Hey, it's okay!" Killian said quickly, jumping to his feet, "Tomorrow, I'll tell you a story about toys that come to life when their owner isn't around."

"Toy's come to life?" Aola asked excitedly, a smile lighting up her features.

"Well, they do in this story," Killian replied with a smile.

"Great, another story about crazy people," Argyle grumbled, making them all laugh.

An hour later, after Aola and Killian had fallen asleep, Argyle and Terra stood over them, watching them sleep, while the campfire gently crackled behind them. The children were lying on their sides, facing each other, with their arms stretched towards one another, their fingers inches from touching.

"Have you given any thought as to what to do tomorrow?" Terra asked softly, a smile on her face.

"Some, yes," Argyle replied. "The boy has been through a lot. It would be wrong to ask more of him. And our way of life is not for everyone, my love."

"He is alone in the galaxy, Argyle. He has no one that makes him a foundling. If we hadn't come across him, I'd bet a hundred credits that he would have died out there on those plains."

"I agree with you, Terra. But do you think it would be right to induct him into our way of life, our ways, without giving him the chance to choose for himself?"

Terra bit her lower lip at that; indecision etched across her face. Seeing Killian's sleeping face, so calm, all she wanted to do was protect him, to make sure no one ever hurt him again, and chase away the monsters that would do so.

"No, you're right," she admitted, at last, making Argyle move closer and put his arm around her.

"Tomorrow after we deal with Dex, we will tell him what we are, and if he wishes to come with us, then he is welcome to, but it shall be his decision," Argyle said firmly, brokering no argument.

"Aola seems to like him," Terra said fondly. "It's been a long time since she's opened up with another so easily; Goddess knows how hard it is for her to make friends."

"Yeah, It warms my heart to see her so happy, though I'm sure those crazy stories of his played a big part."

Terra punched him playfully in the arm at that, making him chuckle

"They weren't all bad," she said with a soft laugh, careful not to be too loud

"Oh, not at all," Argyle chuckled back. "Hunter's turning into animals to be taught a lesson by the gods, a flying mattress and a blue deity that grants wishes, a realm where monsters collect children's screams to power their cities, all perfectly normal occurrences," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes

"Flying carpet," Terra corrected. "Not a mattress."

"Whatever," he said with a grin before kissing her forehead.

"We should get to bed, ourselves. Tomorrow will be a trying day."

Terra nodded grimly, picking up her rifle from where it lay

"I'll take the first watch."

Argyle looked as though he might argue, but her expression and raised eyebrow showed it would be useless, so he just shook his head with a laugh and laid down on his sleeping bag.

"Wake me in four hours, then."

A chuckle was all he got for a response, and soon he was asleep.

Terra sat and watched Killian for a long time after that, her mind racing with all that might happen tomorrow, both with Dex and with Killian. Her people didn't have an outstanding reputation when it came to the rest of the galaxy, and she was afraid that once he learned what they were, he would be terrified of them and bolt. True, he had said that he didn't have much knowledge of the galaxy outside his foster home, but still, word of their people must have reached his ears; there was hardly a race out in the galaxy who hadn't heard of them, Terra was sure. She sighed, sadly, her lekku drooping slightly, as she rested her rifle on her shoulder. It would all be decided tomorrow…

"It's so big!" Killian marveled as they finally came within sight of Anzati. "When you said it was a town, I expected it to be smaller."

"It looks bigger than it is," Argyle replied. "In reality, it's probably the smallest settlement on Alderaan, only ten thousand inhabitants at most, a great place for those with shady business dealings, they can hide in plain sight."

"Which brings us to a point," Terra added, turning to look at him & Aola, with a severe expression on her face. "When we reach the town, you two stay close to us, understand? This is not a place to wander off."

Both nodded their agreement, and Terra eyed them for a moment more before shaking her head.

"Do we know where he'll be?" Terra asked Argyle as they began to walk

"The Wookie said he will most like be at a bar called 'The swollen gut' sounds like just the type of place for trash like Dex."

"He has a name, you know," Terra said with a grin.

"Does he? Odd how little I care," Argyle countered with a grin of his own

"Well, perhaps if you learned it, you might find him a little bit more forthcoming on information in future dealings."

"We give him credits; he gives us information. What else do I need to know about him" Argyle scoffed. Terra rolled her eyes at that but said nothing.

"This is so cool!" Killian thought to himself as they moved through the town. Everywhere he looked was a character he had only dreamed about but never expected to see with his own two eyes. There was a Rodian selling fruit at a stand, a Bothan laughing at a joke being told to it by an Ithorian, a Devaronian, and a Gran stood along a wall, with a Zabrak, watching them as they passed. Then, every so often, a droid would scamper past them.

"You act as though this is the first time you've seen anything like this," Argyle said, with a raised eyebrow, making Killian suddenly nervous, but thankfully before he could say more, Terra stopped them in front of a white building, with a neon green sign above the door.

"This is it," she said in a severe tone. "You ready?"

Argyle nodded, growing equally serious "Let's go get what's ours"

Killian gulped as they entered, not knowing what to expect, and was surprised how normal the inside looked. A small Duro operated a bar at the far end of the room. Bith played some strange song on a stage, towards the back while a yellow Twi'lek danced to the tune. Almost every table was taken by various species, each laughing, drinking, or playing cards. As they entered, both Argyle and Terra began to scan the room and seemed to find what they were looking for at the same time.

"Back table," Terra said, her hand lowering to her blaster.

"I see him. That's Dex alright," Argyle said with a grimace; as they both began to take off their packs. Killian looked to see who they were referring to and quickly found the table that had caught their eyes. Two Rodians, a Trandoshan, and a human were sitting around a circular table, laughing and playing cards. They were all wearing large blasters on their hips, and the Trandoshan had a large knife in his hand that he was playing with lazily. The human let out a laugh, and Killian focused on him, wondering if that was Dex. He didn't look all the impressive to him, honestly. He was a significant overweight, pale-skinned man with reddish-brown hair balding slightly. As he laughed again, his belly shook, making Killian stare in confusion. That couldn't be him, could it? He had been expecting someone bigger and tougher looking.

"Killian, you and Aola watch these for us and stay out of sight," Terra said as they handed over their pack. Then, after a moment of indecision, she also handed her rifle to Killian, surprising him. "Keep this safe for me," she said with a wink, then turning to Aola, she added, "Keep an eye on him."

"Yes, mama," Aola said, taking Killian's hand and pulling him towards a nearby empty table while her parents stalked towards their target, their anger palpable.

"You cheating scum!" The human laughed as one of the Rodians showed his cards. "That's the third hand you've won in a row!"

"Perhaps you're just unlucky today, my friend," the Rodian laughed back as he collected his credits.

"Oh, I'd say that today is definitely an unlucky day for you, Dex," Argyle replied coldly, making Dex freeze and pale in an instant before slowly turning around to face the speaker.

"Argyle, Terra, what a pleasant surprise. I never expected to see you here. Please pull up a chair and join us. We need some fresh…oof."

Before he could finish his sentence, Terra had grabbed his head and slammed it onto the table, the loud crash making the bar go quiet in an instant. The three others rose in anger, each reaching for their weapon, but Argyle quickly leveled his rifle at them with a glare.

"Please remain in your seats, gentlemen. Our business will only take a moment, and I would hate to have to spill blood on such a fine day."

They slowly lowered themselves back down, at that, and Argyle pointed his weapon at the Trandoshan.

"Lose the knife, lizard, or lose the arm," he said in a deadly whisper. The Trandoshan glared for a moment before stabbing it into the table with a sneer, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"Much obliged, friend," Argyle said, with a sarcastic smile, while Terra raised Dex's head off the table by what little hair he had left, drew her knife, and pressed it his throat.

"Where's our ship?!" She said, her voice as cold as ice.

"I'm afraid you're too late, my friend. I sold it to a smuggler last week."

"Liar!" Terra growled, pressing the knife deeper and making him wince

"There is no way you would sell our ship so long as our armor was still on it! That much beskar would fetch you a fortune, and you're too greedy to pass up an opportunity like that!"

Dex's eyes narrowed at the accusation, but before he could reply, Argyle added to his wife's comment.

"And there is no way you could have gotten it out of that compartment without specialized equipment, which you can't afford at the moment. It only opens for Terra or me. I know my security system well enough to guarantee that"

"No violence, please!" The Duro yelled as he ran around the bar to the table.

"You needn't worry, sir," Argyle said with a small smile. "We're only here for what's ours, and then we will be on our way. But, if this thief decides to continue to test my patience, then I'm afraid I can't be held responsible for what happens to him."

Dex grew pale at the words, a small trail of blood beginning to appear from the tiny cut made on his neck as Terra pushed deeper.

"I'll ask one last time, sleemo," Terra said, menace clear in her voice. "Where is our ship?"

Dex looked at the Trandoshan, and suddenly he lunged at the table, flipping it over, with a roar that filled the bar, the two Rodians jumping to their feet and reaching for their weapons.

Terra released Dex and threw her knife at the first rodian, which caught him in the chest, making him fall with a mournful cry, while Argyle fired his rifle at the other, hitting him in the shoulder and causing him to fall behind the table with a curse.

Before he could fire again, the trandoshan had tackled him around the middle, both falling to the ground with a painful cry, which tore the rifle from Argyle's hands. Meanwhile, Terra was fending off blows from Dex while the Duro bartender screamed, "Stop! Stop!"

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"We have to do something!" Killian exclaimed as they watched in sick fascination from under the table they were hiding. It seemed as though the roar that the trandoshan had issued was some sort of starting bell, as the whole bar was quickly becoming a war zone, with patrons either running out as fast as they could or else finding someone to fight.

"Why?" Aola said quickly as a Dug landed in front of them with a curse before charging back into battle. "Mama and Papa have it under control."

"You call this under control?" Killian said incredulously

"No, I call this normal day in our family," Aola said, laughing at Killian's open-mouthed expression.

"You filthy tailhead!" Dex roared as he aimed a punch at Terra's face. "You think you can just come in here and threaten me?! Nobody threatens me! Do you know who I am?!"

Terra easily avoided it, grabbing his arm, and throwing a punch into his gut, making him gasp and fall to his knees, which she followed up with a kick to his face.

"I know exactly who you are!" She sneered, "You're a greedy piece of bantha poodoo! How do you think we found you? We heard you were looking for a safecracker almost immediately when you put out the word. A smarter man would have waited a few months to be safe, but then you always were an idiot, Dex" he turned crimson at that and swung wildly, roaring in rage, but hitting nothing. "You freaks think you're so great with that shiny armor of yours! How many jobs did I bring you?! And all I got in return was disrespect!" He roared, wiping his fast-bleeding nose.

"We trusted you, you piece of garbage!" She bellowed at him, her features twisted in rage. "We gave you a home on our ship when you lost yours to the Hutts! All you had to do was watch the ship while we dropped off the bounty, but no, you're too much of a greedy prick to even do that right without screwing it up!" She landed two more blows to his face, sending him sprawling.

Dex came up with a roar, then, his nose apparently broken, delivering two hard punches to Terra's mid-section, and a third to her jaw in rapid succession, sending her onto her back.

"I just did what anyone else in my position would have done!" He bellowed as she got to her feet, the two slowly circling each other

"Keep telling yourself that, sleemo!" Terra spit, showing red teeth. He looked at the blaster on her hip warily, making her laugh in contempt. "Don't worry, Dex. I'm not going to shoot you, that would be too quick, and I want to make this last! I owe you for all the disgusting looks you shot my way over the years" A gurgling noise from her left made her look to see what it was, and she paled at seeing Argyle being slowly strangled, despite his best efforts. Quickly she pulled a knife from her boot and threw it without looking, and yet knowing it would hit the target with the experience of countless years of practice, turning her attention back to Dex, she charged.

Argyle was in trouble. There was no denying it. The trandoshan had knocked the wind out of him when he'd tackled him to the ground and used that momentum to get his hands around Argyle's throat quickly, his rifle just barely out of reach. "I can't break his grip!" Argyle thought in fear. As his vision began to dim, the thought of being killed by this giant lizard was unacceptable to him, and the anger he felt there seemed to renew his strength as he reached for his blaster on his hip. Suddenly, the Trandoshan's eyes went wide, his grip slackened, and he roared in anger and pain, rolling off of Argyle, Terra's knife stuck snugly in his shoulder blade, drawing a deep breath, he rose to his feet, as the trandoshan desperately tried to pull out Terra's knife.

"Thanks, honey." He called in a raspy voice, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

"It seems I'm always saving your hide," she called back. She was grinning, though he couldn't see it.

"Now, let's try this again," Argyle said with a sneer, raising his fists. The trandoshan looked at him for a moment, finally managed to grab the knife, and, with a roar, ripped it out before throwing it at him, which Argyle easily dodged, lunging forward.

"This is nuts!" Killian said though a smile played on his lips

"You get used to it after a while," Aola replied with a grin of her own.

Suddenly, his smile disappeared as he saw Dex had managed to gain the upper hand against Terra, finally. He had thrown a glass of alcohol into her eyes, and as she angrily wiped her face, Dex had tackled her to the ground and began punching her without mercy, his face a twisted mask of hate and rage.

"No!" Killian cried out.

"Killian, come back!" Aola cried after him, but he ignored her as he dashed across the battlefield that had so recently been a peaceful bar to a nearby table and grabbed an unopened bottle.

So consumed was Dex with killing Terra that he didn't see Killian approach from behind and break the bottle across the back of his skull. Dex's eyes went wide with pain, and he quickly jumped to his feet and turned to see who had hit him. Seeing Killian, Dex looked surprised for a moment before taking a menacing step forward, the blood on his face making Killian suddenly feel very foolish,

"Bad move, kid," Dex said as he took another step forward. Killian tried to move, to run, but his body refused to listen to him, and he stared in fear at the large angry man in front of him.

"Hey, Dex!" Terra called from behind him in rage. He had just enough time to turn and see her holding Argyle's rifle by the barrel, his eyes opening in horror before she swung it hard and smashed the buttstock against his face, spinning him around and knocking him to the floor with a painful crash, this time he didn't get back up.

Terra breathed very hard for a moment, still holding the rifle in both hands, before turning to look at Killian, anger etched on her face.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She asked angrily, dropping the rifle and wiping her bleeding nose.

Killian had been expecting gratitude and shrunk before her anger, not knowing what to say.

"He was going to kill you. I was only trying to help. I…"

"I told you and Aola to stay out of sight! This is no place for you!" She raged, her lekku shaking violently.

Killian sniffed miserably, tears beginning to show in his eyes, as he stared at the ground, unable to say anything.

Seeing him like that, Terra stopped and took a deep breath, shaking her head in exasperation.

"I'm sorry, Killian. I didn't mean to lose my temper. It was courageous of you. But you could have been hurt." Then, as though to emphasize her point, a large Zabrak flew over their heads and behind the bar, landing with a crash that shook the bottles on the wall.

Killian nodded his understanding when a loud 'ping' sounded behind him. His eyes went wide with shock and fear as his shoulder exploded with pain, and he collapsed to the floor.

"Killian!" Terra screamed, catching him as he fell and drawing her blaster in reflex. The rodian from earlier was on his feet, his shoulder bleeding heavily. It was he who had hit Killian, though he had been aiming for her. Having to use his non-dominant hand had thrown off his aim, and it only took one shot from Terra to drop him for good.

"Terra, it hurts!" He cried as she holstered her blaster and tore open his shirt to see how bad it was.

"I know, sweetheart," she said, her heart racing as she saw the wound, "But it's not even that bad. You'll be just fine," her face betraying her words.

"You're lying," he said, tears running down his face as he passed out, making Terra cry out in alarm.

The sound of the blaster had caused the Trandoshan to lose focus. Only for a moment as he picked Argyle up over his head and threw him across a table, but that was all Argyle needed as he rose to his feet, drew his blaster, and put three rounds into his enemy. The lizard snarled weakly at him before dropping onto his stomach without another word. The bar fight quickly stopped at the sound of blaster fire as patrons ducked for cover, fists were one thing, but blasters were another matter entirely.

Hearing his wife's voice scream, Argyle turned to see what the matter was and paled at the instant upon seeing the unconscious body lying in a pool of blood.

"What happened?" He said as he ran over, quickly holstering his weapon and checking for a pulse.

"It was the Rodian over there," Terra said, nodding towards the body. "Dex was beating the crap out of me, and Killian came to my rescue. I didn't see the sleemo until after Killian had been hit, I swear!"

"He's got a pulse, but it's weak," Argyle said grimly. "We've got to get him to a medical center, now!" Looking around, he saw the Duro hiding behind a nearby tipped over table and pointed at him

"You!" He called, making the duro shrink in fear. "Are there any doctors in this town?"

"Of course, sir," the Duro said with a tremor, "We have a fine medical center here."

"Well, where is it?" Argyle asked angrily, standing up

"You pay for damages first!" The Duro said anger made him feel braver than he was.

Argyle went white with rage. He covered the distance between them in two steps and picked the duro up by his shirt before slamming him onto the bar.

"Listen to me, you cowardly scum," he said in anger, his lekku shaking with rage. "This boy needs medical attention, now. I will happily pay once I know he is safe, but if he dies, you die. Is that clear?"

The Duro shook with terror as he nodded his understanding, struggling to get the words out.

"It's the big white building at the other end of town," he said quickly.

Nodding his thanks, Argyle released the Duro, scooped up Killian, and made a dash for the door before stopping and turning to Terra.

"You and Aola grab Dex and meet me over there," he said, waiting for her nod of agreement before rushing out the door.

"This is taking too long!" Argyle exclaimed in anger, causing Terra to look up at him from where she sat. The doctors had taken Killian from his arms as soon as they saw what had happened, promising to inform him when they had more information on his condition. That was a long time ago. Since then, Argyle had been pacing the floor impatiently as he waited for news. Any news would do at this point. Terra and Aola came soon after, an unconscious Dex on Terra's back, hands bound, while Aola had dragged in the bags. Terra had quickly dropped him to the ground upon arrival before taking a seat when she learned there was no word. The sight of Dex's still form had caused the protocol droid behind the desk to gasp in alarm, or what sounded like an alarm at any rate, and it was in the process of calling for more doctors when Argyle had roared at it to mind its own business. Aola had sat on the other side of the room, pale and quiet.

"It was a terrible wound, Argyle. It will take time." Terra said, softly, more to calm her own fears than his.

As if on cue, a dark-skinned woman, wearing a white doctor's robe, came out of the large double doors leading to the back rooms, hands clasped behind her back. She scowled at the unconscious body of Dex before approaching Argyle and Terra.

"Why is that man unconscious?" She asked in a tone that clarified that she was used to being answered immediately.

"Because he was hit over the head," Argyle said, making Terra smile slightly.

"And his apparent broken nose?" She asked again sternly.

"Don't worry about him; he's fine." Argyle said, throwing a sneer at him, "How is Killian?"

"Killian, is that his name?" The woman said, her expression becoming grim, "Are you the boy's guardians?"

"We are," Terra answered immediately, standing up.

"Then perhaps you could explain to me as to why, during my examination, I discovered that nearly twenty-eight percent of his body is covered in scar tissue." At this, she pulled a data-pad from behind her back and read off a list, "Burns, both from some form of chemical and fire. There are numerous scars and bruises all over his body, though most lie on his back. He has several fractures that never healed properly. He's severely malnourished, and as far as I can tell, he has been the victim of abuse for several years now." She looked up from the data-pad, a severe expression crossing her face. "And now, he has a new scar, in the shape of a blaster wound, and I want answers!"

Terra had gone pale as the doctor had read off all of Killian's injuries, while Argyle had begun to shake with rage. They had already seen his injuries, but hearing how much they hadn't noticed, was like experiencing it all over again.

"We did not do that to him if that's what you're asking," Terra said softly, her lekku drooping.

"Then who did?" The doctor demanded hotly.

"His previous guardian," Argyle said, in what he hoped was a calm voice, "Killian is an orphan. He escaped from his foster mother, who was abusing him. So we took him in."

"I see, and would you happen to know the name of this foster mother?"

"No," Argyle said, "He refuses to tell us. I think he fears being sent back to her"

"Hmm, very well then," the doctor said sadly, walking towards the front desk and motioning them to follow her, which they did. "And the new wound?"

"The unconscious fellow stole our ship," Argyle growled. "We tracked him to this planet and confronted him. Things got ugly fast."

"Perhaps next time, you might avoid putting children in such danger in the first place," she said, her eyes trailing to Aola.

"How is he, doctor?" Terra asked, her voice shaking slightly, bringing the doctor's attention back to them.

"He's lost a lot of blood, almost too much. The blaster very nearly took his arm off. He's a fortunate boy."

"So he'll live?" Argyle asked, hopeful.

"Yes, he will live," the doctor replied with a smile, "Though he will be asleep for several hours while he recovers. We had to sedate him, and I'll need to verify your story with him when he awakens. I'm afraid you will not be able to see him until then. I suggest you use the time to find a better home for that," she finished speaking, nodding her head at Dex.

"Please do try to remember that this is a medical center, not a back-alley bar."

"Yes, ma'am," Argyle said with a grin as she turned and walked back through the double doors.

Turning back to Terra, he saw that she was holding back tears and pulled her into a tight embrace, gently stroking her head as she cried happily.

"It's okay, my love. He's going to be okay."

"Is Killian going to be alright?" Aola asked, walking over to them slowly. Argyle nodded happily, making her face split into a huge grin of joy before she, too, joined the hug.

"Now, what do you say we wake up our friend and ask about our lost property?" Argyle said seriously, making Terra look at Dex with anger that surprised Argyle.

"Not here, Argyle," she said through grit teeth. "This is a medical center, remember."

"Why am I rocking?" Dex wondered as he opened his eyes. When he did, he screamed in terror, the noise muffled by the rag in his mouth, he was hanging upside down over a considerable drop, the ground a long way down, as he looked up, he saw that the rope that was holding his feet, was thrown over a scaffolding, which creaked with his weight.

"Good evening, Dex. Have a good sleep?" Argyle called softly from behind him, making him wiggle to turn and face him. Argyle stood with Terra, both of them wearing very dangerous expressions that chilled Dex to the bone. Slowly Argyle leaned over the edge and pulled the rag from Dex's mouth with a savage jerk, making him sway back and forth.

"I'll only ask this one last time, Dex," Argyle said grimly, pulling a knife from his boot and placing the blade on the rope. "Where is our ship?"

Dex looked down in horror; the fall would kill him if Argyle cut the rope. That was a certainty. And no amount of credits was worth his life, yet his greed made him speak without thinking.

"I already told you, I sold it," he said in a whisper, "To a smuggler, he didn't tell me his name!"

Argyle dragged the knife across the rope, cutting strands and making Dex drop slightly.

"Wait! Please wait!" Dex screamed in terror as Argyle placed the blade on the rope again

"If I tell you, you promise not to kill me?"

"I promise I won't kill you," Argyle said with a smile. "But if you lie to me again, it's over."

"It's in a valley east of here," Dex cried, his sense of self-preservation finally overriding his greed. "I left it there so no one would find it. I was hoping to hire a specialist to crack the compartment to get the armor! But, I swear, it's there."

"We already know about the safecracker," Argyle said with a sneer. "It's how we found you."

"Where is this valley?" Terra said, walking over. "How far?

"It's east of here, about an hour or two at best. I swear!"

Argyle looked at his wife for a moment. "You believe him?"

Terra looked at Dex for a moment. He returned her look in abject terror before nodding, "I do," which caused Dex to sag in relief and mutter "Thank you" repeatedly.

Argyle nodded, then sheathed the knife in his boot as they turned to walk away. Seeing them getting ready to leave him there, Dex called out in panic, "Wait! I told you what you wanted to know. You said you would let me go," He called in a scared yet hopeful voice.

"I said I would not kill you, and I won't," Argyle said as he stopped and drew his blaster, leveling it at Dex.

"But he never said anything about the fall killing you," Terra said with a dark smile.

Dex went white as a sheet at that, he had just enough time to open his mouth to offer one last plead before Argyle shot the rope, and he fell out of their sight with a scream that was quickly cut off.

Killian woke with a groan, his eyes slowly opening to a room of pure white. At his side, a medical droid was silently examining a screen of data. As Killian slowly tried to rise, the droid turned to him.

"Please remain still. You are still quite weak," it said in a monotone.

"Where am I?" Killian asked in a weak voice, giving up trying to rise after failing for the third time.

"You are in the Almati medical center," It responded, turning back to the screen. "You were brought here after receiving significant damage to your left shoulder from a blaster. Now, if you will excuse me, I will inform Doctor Megalla that you are awake" without another word, the droid turned and left the room, the door sliding, opening and closing with a soft hiss.

Left alone, Killian began to examine his surroundings, surprised at how it appeared like a regular hospital room. His bed was against the far wall, across from him was a viewing window, and he saw another room across the hall from him, where lay a sleeping Rodian.

He was naked to the waist, and his shoulder was heavily bandaged. When he tried to raise his arm, he found that the mere act sent a shock of pain through him that made him gasp and shut his eyes tight.

"I'm such an idiot," he thought, lowering his head back down. "I should have just stayed under the table. Terra was so mad at me. I bet she hates me" the thought brought tears to his eyes, but he was too weak to rub them away. Suddenly his door hissed open, and a dark-skinned older woman in a white robe entered, followed closely by the medical droid. She walked to the screen next to his bed and looked at it, pressed the screen a few times, bringing up new information, which she looked at intensely for a few moments, before finally turning to him with a warm smile.

"Well, it's good to see you awake, young Killian. You've been asleep for some time."

"How do you know my name?" Killian asked in a weak voice as she began to examine him.

"Your guardians told me, of course. They are quite worried about you."

Killian's voice shook with emotion as he replied softly, "My guardians?"

"Yes, that's what they called themselves, are they not?"

Killian didn't respond, his mind racing, causing the doctor to frown and sit on the bed next to him.

"Killian, I need to ask you something," she said thoughtfully. "And I need you to answer truthfully, do you understand?"

Killian gulped quickly, already guessing what she would ask, and nodded slowly.

"You have a great many injuries, child. Your guardians told me that you sustained them from your foster mother. Is that the truth"

Killian's eyes widened at the implication; she thought that Argyle and Terra were the ones who had hurt him, he realized, with dawning horror.

"Yes, ma'am, it is," he said in a weak voice. "Argyle and Terra would never hurt me," he added, bringing a frown to the doctor's face.

"You're safe here, child." "But," she said, moving closer, "If they are the ones who hurt you, I promise that you needn't be afraid to say so."

"They didn't hurt me!" Killian retorted, trying to rise again before Doctor Megalla gently pushed him back down. "It was Mrs. Murray who hurt me! Not them"

"So her name is Mrs. Murray, is it?" Doctor Megalla said with a grimace, "Is there anything else you can tell me about her?"

"No," Killian said, looking away.

"Killian, if she's doing to others, what she did to you, she needs to be stopped," the doctor said seriously.

"I have nothing to say that will help you, doctor," he said, turning to face her. "And even if I did, she is beyond your reach, beyond the reach of anyone in the republic."

The way Killian said that made doctor Megalla stare in confusion, but realizing that she would not get anything else from him, she shook her head sadly and rose to her feet.

"Very well, then," she said. "Your vitals are still too weak, as far as I'm concerned, so I will be having you spend tonight in a bacta tank. If tomorrow you are in better health, I will allow your guardians to see you." Then, turning to the medical droid, she said, "Please sedate the patient and make the necessary preparations for tonight's treatment."

"Of course, doctor," the droid replied in the same monotone as before, producing a large needle from within its arm, which made Killian pale in fear.

"No, wait," he said weakly. "I hate needles."

"Most children do," doctor Megalla said as she turned to leave. "But it will only hurt for a moment. I promise." Nodding at the droid, she quickly left, the doors hissing shut behind her.

"Please hold still, child," the droid said, moving slowly towards him,

"No," Killian said, but too weak to resist, all he could do was groan as the droid stuck his arm, and he quickly fell into darkness.

Author's Note:

This chapter ran longer than I had anticipated. I was having too much fun writing it, adding stuff, and taking stuff away to stop. Hopefully, the following chapters won't go on for so long, but I promise nothing if I'm on a roll, lol.

I took the liberty of using a few stories from Earth in this chapter. Still, I claim ownership over none of them. All the stories I had Killian tell Aola, Argyle, and Terra (i.e., Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, The little mermaid, etc.) are the property of Disney and Pixar, respectively. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always, critiques and reviews are welcome as they help me create a better story for you all.