OOM: Classified Ads
As the door shut, it was almost as if things were going in slow motion. "Oh, kriff. Threepio... no!" She made a mad grab for the door, but she fell through, not onto the wooden floor of the bar, but to the hard-packed earth on the floor of Chulman's Cantina. The occupants of the cantina looked up, laughing, and commenting in a score of languages. Standing, she brushed herself off, glad for once that she was not wearing a t-shirt. An obscene gesture, and Huttese swear later, she had stepped back out into the hot sun of Tatooine.
This was a problem. A large, hot problem. First, she rummaged in her apron, hoping for something, anything to trade, for perhaps some credits. Nothing, save Luke's blaster. Holding it for a moment, she decided against hawking that. She might need it. Looking up, she squinted at the suns and wondered for a moment if there was such a thing as hitchhiking in this galaxy. Then again, where would she go? How could she contact Luke, and tell him that she was stuck? This was -not- looking good.
Wandering down the street, attempting to look like she knew where she was going, a small girl beckoed to her from a shelter on the side of the street. Thank the Force that she knew Huttese.
Why're you out now? Sandstorm's coming.
Val turned, looking surprised and responding in Basic. "How do you know?"
The little girl pointed at the sky which was barely starting to darken. "You're not from around here, are you?"
She shook her head. "No. I got stuck here. I'm a reporter." Close enough.
"Come home with me. Daddy's rich. He can get you a transport to Coruscant."
"Dear, I can't..."
"Of course you can. What else are you going to do? Stand out here and get pummelled by sand?"
"Well..."
"You're not Luke Skywalker. You're not a Jedi, so you can't survive in the sand."
Somehow, Val wondered if even Luke could survive a sandstorm, but she kept silent. "So, if I come with you, will you tell me how you know about Luke? I'm writing a story on him, actually."
The little girl grinned manaically. "Really? Oh, I wanna hear all about him. I only know a bit. I'm always on the holonets." Reaching over and taking Val's hand, the little one led her off to a good-sized house off the main street. "I'm a part of the rebellion, you know. Or at least as close to a part of it as I can get. I sent them my allowance for two Standard months. This is home. Come on!" With that, she threw the doors open.
Val took a deep breath and walked into the house. At least it wasn't the biting sun.
This was a problem. A large, hot problem. First, she rummaged in her apron, hoping for something, anything to trade, for perhaps some credits. Nothing, save Luke's blaster. Holding it for a moment, she decided against hawking that. She might need it. Looking up, she squinted at the suns and wondered for a moment if there was such a thing as hitchhiking in this galaxy. Then again, where would she go? How could she contact Luke, and tell him that she was stuck? This was -not- looking good.
Wandering down the street, attempting to look like she knew where she was going, a small girl beckoed to her from a shelter on the side of the street. Thank the Force that she knew Huttese.
Why're you out now? Sandstorm's coming.
Val turned, looking surprised and responding in Basic. "How do you know?"
The little girl pointed at the sky which was barely starting to darken. "You're not from around here, are you?"
She shook her head. "No. I got stuck here. I'm a reporter." Close enough.
"Come home with me. Daddy's rich. He can get you a transport to Coruscant."
"Dear, I can't..."
"Of course you can. What else are you going to do? Stand out here and get pummelled by sand?"
"Well..."
"You're not Luke Skywalker. You're not a Jedi, so you can't survive in the sand."
Somehow, Val wondered if even Luke could survive a sandstorm, but she kept silent. "So, if I come with you, will you tell me how you know about Luke? I'm writing a story on him, actually."
The little girl grinned manaically. "Really? Oh, I wanna hear all about him. I only know a bit. I'm always on the holonets." Reaching over and taking Val's hand, the little one led her off to a good-sized house off the main street. "I'm a part of the rebellion, you know. Or at least as close to a part of it as I can get. I sent them my allowance for two Standard months. This is home. Come on!" With that, she threw the doors open.
Val took a deep breath and walked into the house. At least it wasn't the biting sun.