Chapter 9: One Last Run

Bao-Dur and Mira walked from the dock. Mira did not remember the name of the planet that they were on now, but it was a credit-a-dozen kind of planet, anyway, so far from the core that she felt confident in making snap judgements left and right, mostly about how boring it was.

"So," Mira said, tired of the silence between her and Bao-Dur, "what's up with Visas, exactly?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Bao-Dur replied. "She told me she had a headache. Then she walked away and… passed out, for whatever reason."

"Headache. That's… putting it mildly, I would think."

"Yes." Bao-Dur smiled for a moment, and then silence overtook them again, staying with them until they reached what Mira found to be a pathetic excuse for a mercantile square.

"Wow," she murmured to Bao-Dur, "this is… small."

The area consisted of two Rodian vendors directly across from each other, and Mira had the distinct impression that they were not happy with each other. And her impressions were rarely wrong.

"Um… are we sure that this is where we're supposed to be?" Mira asked.

Bao-Dur looked down at his datapad. "This is where the dock workers told us to go."

Mira frowned. "I am not getting good vibes between these two."

"And how bad are these… 'vibes' you're getting?"

"The feelings aren't the worst part of it. These two are armed."

"Oh. I see. And you think…"

Mira shrugged. "I don't want to assume anything, but I mean… I'd feel safer putting Atton and Mical in direct competition than these two. These two seem… kinda crazy."

Bao-Dur nodded. "I'll keep my guard up."

They walked into the square and approached one of the vendors. Mira noticed the few people who were loitering in the square hurry into the shadows.

Not a good sign, she thought. As Bao-Dur began to negotiate with the first Rodian, Mira kept her eye on the second, who was clearly apprehensive.

Bao-Dur, meanwhile, was having a problem understanding the Rodian's dialectized Huttese, and negotiations were slowing.

"Bao, let me talk to him," she whispered. "I can understand him, I swear."

"One moment," Bao-Dur said to the Rodian. He turned to Mira. "Are you sure?"

"I lived on Nar Shaddaa. You pick up these things."

Bao-Dur nodded.

"Watch out, that guy's twitchy," Mira warned before turning to the Rodian. "All right, so… we need—"

Before she heard the other Rodian shoot, Mira felt Bao-Dur pull her to the ground. Almost instantly, they were scrambling to their feet and out of the way. Bao-Dur pulled out his lightsaber, deflecting blaster bolts harmlessly into the air as Mira regained her balance. Using the Force, she pushed the attacking Rodian down and pulled his weapon to her. With one Rodian down, the other drew his own weapon, which Mira also confiscated.

"Back it up," Mira called out as the Rodians began to move towards each other. To make her point clearer, she drew her own lightsaber. "Now."

The Rodians reluctantly moved away from each other.

"All right," Mira said, stepping out between the Rodians, Bao-Dur behind her and ready to strike, "we need to buy some things. Frankly, I don't care what your problems are with each other, and I don't have time for any of this. We're going to tell you what we need, and you're going to give it to us."

Nobody moved. Mira's eyes narrowed. "Are we clear?"

The Rodians nodded and stammered their agreement. Mira smiled.

"Are you sure you don't remember?" Alainna said, leaning against the wall.

"For the third time," Visas said, "I am absolutely sure. I remember walking… somewhere on the ship, and then I remember waking up, and nothing else."

"Great," Alainna muttered. "Mical, how is everything else?"

"Your vitals are fine, Visas," Mical said. "You can leave whenever you feel ready."

Visas sighed. "I'm sorry that I could not be of use. Perhaps when I return to my meditation, I could—"

"I'd really rather not make you pass out again," Alainna said. "Please don't force anything. We're so close now that it won't matter anyway, soon."

Alainna left.

"She seems more brusque than usual," Visas noted.

"Yes," Mical said. "The stress of the journey, though I can't be sure what role her illness has in it…"

Visas let the subject go. The last thing she needed to do was to pry into Mical's insecurities. Talking to people had never been one of her stronger skills.

"If it's all right with you," Visas said, "I think I am ready to leave."

"Of course," Mical said. "If you feel like you're going to pass out again, feel free to do it in here."

"Thank you," she said, leaving. She walked towards the back of the ship. As she did, she heard Mira's and Bao-Dur's voices drifting closer.

"…look on Jugo's face when he thought you were mad at him for bringing the wrong hydrospanner," Bao-Dur was saying.

"Yeah, that was something. I'm surprised you haven't lectured me on using my influence responsibly or setting a good example as a Jedi or something."

"I'm waiting until your leg is fixed."

"Fair enough."

Visas watched as Bao-Dur walked up the ramp, Mira in arms, two fully-laden Rodians in tow, and one equally-laden Human trailing behind.

"Welcome back," Visas said.

"Hey, Visas," Mira said. "You feeling better?"

"Quite," Visas replied.

"That's good, I need the medbay. Someone back in town couldn't hold the massive hydrospanner that Bao-Dur seems to think we need."

"The accident did get us the services of these people, though," Bao-Dur said, nodding at the three behind them, who were in danger of dropping their heavy bags on the floor. One of the Rodians said something in his particular dialect of Huttese.

"Oh, right," Mira said. "Visas, if you could just show them where to drop those off…"

Visas nodded. She walked off, and the three followed her.

Bao-Dur carried Mira to the medbay.

"Hey, Mical," Mira said.

"Hello. How did you manage to get into a fight in the middle of nowhere?" Mical asked.

Mira laughed as Bao-Dur set her down. "Don't be ridiculous. The fight had nothing to do with my leg injury."

Mical raised an eyebrow.

"No, really," Mira said.

Mical looked up at Bao-Dur.

"She's right," Bao-Dur said.

"Way to not take my word for it," Mira said as Mical began to examine her leg.

"My apologies," Mical said.

Atton walked to the doorway of the medbay. "And you think I'm the one who's going to get in trouble on shore leave," he said, shaking his head.

Mira sighed. "It was a hydrospanner accident."

"Right. Who swung first?"

"If you'd been here a minute earlier instead of in the cockpit arguing with the droids, maybe you would have heard that I did not, in fact, get in a fight, thank you."

Bao-Dur cleared his throat.

"Fine," Mira said, "but the fight had nothing to do with my leg injury. Nobody got hurt in the fight." She turned to Bao-Dur. "Does that really count as a fight?"

"Hah," Atton scoffed as Alainna entered the scene. "You and your low-tempered ways."

Alainna sighed, surveying the room. "I don't think I want to know."

"Hydrospanner accident," Bao-Dur said.

"Right," Atton said, rolling his eyes.

Mical closed his eyes, and everyone watched as he put his hands gently on Mira's shin. She gasped slightly, and when Mical opened his eyes again, she stood.

"Excellent. Thanks, Mical," Mira said.

"Are we all ready?" Alainna said, rubbing her forehead.

"There might be some people unloading supplies back with Visas," Mira said.

"I'll check on them," Bao-Dur offered.

"I'll start the engines," Atton said, walking to the cockpit.

"All right," Alainna said as everyone went their separate ways.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply.

She had survived the Sith Empire once. She hoped that they would all be so lucky now.

It was time to leave home.

A/N: I know, these last couple of chapters have been pretty short. But hey, now they're out there, so they should be getting 1. longer and 2. more interesting. (A third possibility, more frequent, has not been ruled out!) As usual, massive thanks to all of you who have stuck with me thus far!