BALANCE | A Star Wars story

IV

  "Kark, kriffing bantha crap..." a string of curses pour from my mouth as I tap desperately at the buttons trying to get the engines back on. A glowing red laser flies past the window only encouraging my figures to work faster, according to the screen on the left wall the engine isn't gone just badly damaged so after a few more tries the pod roars to life and I let out a sigh of relief despite knowing I'm far from safe.

I push the pod to go as fast as it can, desperate to escape the oncoming bullets that shine past the windows. Unfortunately the pod wasn't meant for high speeds and the force tingles with apprehension as I feel the ship draw closer. I don't look back but keep my eyes focussed on my destination begging the gods to get me there safe.

But life doesn't work that way, the gods like to look down on us and say 'how can we make their lives even more miserable'. I think they like watching us fight for every second of every day against some new terror they have planted in our galaxy for their own amusement. We are pawns, dispensable, only used for the joy that these almighty beings get from betting on whether we will make it to tomorrow.

     A rogue piece of debris smashes into the side of the pod, setting off an alarm which shrouds the pod in a crimson glow. The debris knocks the pod off course and I lose all control of the steering, my hands attempt to grab the controls but the pod is spinning so wildly now that I can barely see.

     Round and round, everything blurs into one as my body is forced in a 360 motion. There's a pull at my stomach and I slap my hands over my mouth forcing down the vomit as I close my eyes hoping the spinning will stop soon. I no longer sense any lasers being fired which leads me to believe the attackers believe I'm dead or about to die.

I wrench my hands from my mouth and fumble for the controls, strands of dark hair escape from my pony tail to obscure my vision as I attempt to regain control. My hands latch onto the metal of the controls and I yank them backwards, the ship levels out but the force of the push keeps the ship hurtling through space at a high speed. I barely see the planet I'm headed towards but the blue and white colours tell me it's definitely not Saleucami.

     My hands fly across the buttons lining the control panel in an attempt to stop the ship but it seems the engines have really been destroyed this time.

     "Well I wished for an adventure," I grit my teeth and brace myself as I enter this unfamiliar planets atmosphere.

○ ○ ○

     A gasp escapes my lips as I break the surface of the ocean. Panting heavily I automatically begin to tread water and check for my lightsaber, relief washes over me to find it still attached to my hip, how I have no idea but at least it's still there an not at the bottom of this kriffing ocean.

     My eyes do a sweep of my surroundings, in every direction the crystal water stretches for miles. Bits of wreckage from my escape pod float in the water but there isn't anything of use. I really strain my eyes and I can see a small greyish blur on the horizon, it's not much but it's something to go with. I sigh my body is exhausted and for once I'm almost begging just to sleep even for a short time. I just need sleep.

I take a second to gather up the remains of my energy before starting a slow breaststroke in the direction of the blur. Thank the gods Master Nilim made sure I could swim, it's one of the first things I remember him teaching me.

As I swim I have plenty of time to sort out the spider web of thoughts that has tangled itself around my brain. I start with a loose end at the front of my mind; where am I? 'In a sea on a random planet that is definitely not Saleucami.' I remember doing a bit of research about Saleucami before I drifted off on the journey from Coruscant. I remember the archives saying that Saleucami didn't have large masses of water like this one, instead it had smaller lakes and reservoirs.

So where did I end up? This question toys at the back of my mind whilst I swim but I push it aside and address something else.

How am I going to get back? How am I going to find food? How much longer can I keep going? I know I'm only delaying the inevitable thoughts that will find a way to penetrate my brain but I make the conscious decision not to worry about them until I'm safe at home on Coruscant.

The grey blob on the horizon draws closer and soon I am able to make out several docks at the forefront of a large city. I push my legs faster desperate to reach dry land as soon as possible, as I get closer to the city, the details begin to come into view.

There are hundreds of wooden and metallic buildings that stretch upwards stopping at random heights. Neon lights illuminate the building's, advertising several products that would've given Grandmaster Moza a heart attack. I make a quick assumption that this is what I like to call a casino city. A city full of money robbing salesmen, bounty hunters, pirates and its just generally very run down and desperate for money. The city is much like the lower levels of Coruscant apart from it seems to be dirtier and crawling with sketchy people. I shiver from the cold water and push my wet hair out of my eyes, still swimming in the now murky sea.

I approach the docks, big wooden pillars stuck into the water hold up the pathway into the city. I find a ladder leading up onto the path and begin to climb, hesitantly at first just in case it breaks. Once I reach the top, despite my better judgement I fall onto the wood and merely lie there on the walkway catching my breath.

I sit up and look around, spacecraft and boats alike are dotted around the docks that appear to stretch around the outside of the city. Species of every kind wonder the long wooden catwalks getting on and off their ships.

     I push myself up and ring out my wet hair before swirling it into a bun on the top of my head. I glance down at my soaked clothes, they'll take forever to dry, I'll have to buy some new ones.

      Buy...

      Kriff.

      I have no credits.

      Oh kriffing hell, what am I going to do?

-Authors note-
Well.
I hate this chapter not gonna lie but I've been working on it for a while and this is the best I'm gonna come up with.... so yeah.