BALANCE | A Star Wars story

XXXVIII

      It's so dark down here, nothing but small lanterns that hang off the mouldy walls. The smell hits me so hard I recoil know disgust, it smells of rottenness and piss. Clasping my fingers over my nose, I ignite my lightsaber for a little extra light and a deep red haze settles over the room. I move through the maze of cells, most empty but a few have people of all kinds curled up in. They stare at me with such hatred as I walk past that I shiver.

I follow the force the guides me to the Hutt's cell and eventually I find him. I've been moving so quietly he hasn't yet noticed me, he's tucked into the corner, his head buried in his knees and his hands reach into his grimy hair that is much longer than I remember. His clothes are covered in dirt and filth and he looks nothing like the man I met back on Alaspin.

A gasp escapes me at his appearance and this causes him to look up in shock. He stares at me for a few seconds, his eyes raking my body as though he can't quite believe I'm real.

"Erin?" He whispers unsure.

"Yeah, it's me." I smile slightly, I should not be this happy to see him.

"What happened to you?" He pushes himself up into a standing position before stumbling over to me.

"What happened to me? What happened to you?" I ask in disbelief, "I thought you and your Bounty Hunter would be halfway across the galaxy by now!"

"Yeah..." he sighs "she sold me out." A wave of emotions seem to seep from him, anger, sadness, betrayal but there is also a glimmer of something else... something like happiness.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, I fell into her trap and now I'm paying the price." He seems to defeated and it hurts me to see him that way.

"I shouldn't of left you, I thought you'd be okay, you would leave with her and live the life you wanted. I was selfish when I left and I'm so sorry." I put all of my emotions into my words, regret, guilt, fear.

"It's okay, I would probably of done the same."

"Well I'm not leaving you this time." I say determinedly before using the hilt of my lightsaber to break the lock. The cage that separated us swings open and the Hutt falls into my arms. He hastily stands but he's weak and I wrap my arm around his waist, letting me lean on me as we walk back through the cells towards the door.

"Don't leave us here!" A voice cries desperately from behind me. I turn but I've had to turn of my lightsaber and I can't quite see in the darkness. "Please, please don't leave us."

"I'm sorry I can't take you now but I will be back, I promise. Just hang in there and I'll be back to free you." I say sending a wave of promise and reassurance through the force, I have no idea if any of them felt it but I hope my words portrayed it enough.

The Hutt and I walk back out of the door and the two guards turn to us in alarm.

"Oi! Wait—" I wave my hand and they both fall back into place, we begin out long ascend up the stairs. On the way up I fill the Hutt in with everything that has happened to me, he doesn't talk just listens intently. Once we have reached the top of the stair case we are both panting heavily but we have no time to stop, I have to get the Hutt away from here as fast as possible.

I reach out in the force, trying to determine where exactly the Hutt's ship is, the force points an arrow down all the right corridors and before long we are back on the Libertas.

The Hutt looks even worse now that I can see properly but I can't stop to assess any wounds, I carefully move him into the Captains quarters and lie him down on the bed. I go to leave before his voice stops me,

"What are you doing?" He croaks.

"I'm going to find you food and water before setting the autopilot to take you far from here." I say, carefully cleansing my voice of emotion.

"What? No!" He begins to sit up but I rush to his side and push him back down.

"You need rest," I insist.

"Don't send me away, I want to help!"

"Hutt you can be of no help in your condition!"

"I'll be better by the time you leave for Coruscant, I'll come with you. I may not be force sensitive but I won't let you do this alone." He says with such determination that it makes me smile ever so slightly.

"I won't put you in danger."

"That's not your choice to make." He sits up despite my protests, "I want to fight beside you Erin and I want to be apart of your new order even if I can't make a kriffing apple levitate! I'm sorry it took Reeata's betrayal and being away from you to realise it." His words cut through my like a knife and I'm rendered speechless. "Oh and don't call me 'Hutt' or 'Erlend' anymore, that's not my real name. I once told you that I owed Jurga a favour, well when I was a baby I was left my my parents on Jurga's doorstep and he took me in and raised me. Even though I hate it on Tatooine I always felt like I had to listen to him because he 'saved' my life. You know Erlend means stranger because that's what I was to them, the Hutt's. They gave me a new name but when I was left on that doorstep I had nothing but a blanket and a tag reading the name that I fought so hard to forget. I didn't want to have to name that was given to me by those who gave me up but I don't want to be a 'stranger' anymore and besides I think it suits me. Arden Virnick."

         He waits in silence whilst I process everything that was just said. Arden Virnick, the name swirls around in my head. He's right, it does suit him. I look at him, his face is bathed in the soft light emanating from the lamp on the bed side table. I feel as though I'm seeing him for the first time, he's completely different to the man I met on Alaspin what feels like years ago.

       "It does suit you, Arden Virnick." I smile and pull him close, my arms wrap around him tightly. He's skinny from the lack of food and water but it just feels right, tentatively he hugs back and rests his face in the crook of my neck. I almost laugh, in the past few hours I've had more hugs than the rest of my lifetime. However this hug feels different to the one with Mazal, it's much more intimate than the one with Mazal and I find that I don't mind that.

-Author's Note-
So yeahhh, name reveal!
I feel like he's had so many names I've lost track of his character a bit.
I'll admit that Arden/the Hutt/Erlend is a bit of a plot hole as I didn't really know where I was gonna go with his character and how I wanted him to be portrayed, which is why you should always plan thoroughly!! I am trying to fix his character though so that it flows a little easier.