Bounty

four

"We've arrived at the cantina." Sidon informs Calista, finding her within the inner chambers of the barge.

Calista nods dismissively but he continues to stand there. She glances over at the still-unconscious clone slumped against a few crates and sighs before following Sidon off of the ship. Her steps come to a halt as they approach the building, not daring to enter the cantina.

"I suppose you'll never want to see me again." She speaks up from behind the pirate. "I'm sorry for your loss. Pendewqell was a good crewmate."

"A good crewmate." Sidon scoffs. "Do you only ever view others as assets?"

Calista remains silent as Sidon continues.

"That's always been your problem, hasn't it?" He asks, turning to face her. "You're too concerned about your own well-being to even spare a thought for someone else."

Sidon shakes his head at the girl. "I'm surprised you risked anything at all for that deadbeat clone." He mutters. "The others are right, you are nothing but trouble."

Calista clenches her jaw as tears begin to well up in her eyes. Before Sidon can even think about his own words, she turns on her heels and heads back to her freighter. She has a job to do, stopping on Ponemah was the biggest mistake she's ever made. Hopefully it hasn't cost her the bounty of this mysterious relic.

*

The clone groans as he opens his eyes yet again, this time to new scenery. He looks around the cargo hold of the ship as he pushes himself to his feet.

"Woah there, trooper." The Gamorrean steadies the man as he stumbles.

"Where am I?" He asks, looking around at the unusual species wandering the large ship.

"You're on Ponemah, we found you in the wreckage of an old Separatist ship." The short, round-headed alien says.

"Ponemah?" He holds his head. An image of the curious red-skinned, blue-haired woman passes through his mind. "Where's the woman who found me?"

"I'd stay away from that one if I were you." A traingular-headed being says, stepping into the room to continue unloading the few things they scavenged from the shipwreck. "She's nothin' but trouble."

"Not to mention the Captain has a thing for her." The Gamorrean adds.

The same small, round-headed amphibian stands in the doorway. "Speaking of the Captain, he says you're joining the crew?"

The clone's mind spins. He's 50 years in the future. Everything and everyone he knew and loved is gone. And now he's a pirate?

"Give him some space, boys. Captain says he's been asleep for 50 years." The red Twi'lek states.

"50 years! You must be starving." The Arcona says. "Let's get you something to eat."

The clone follows the wide-eyed being into the cantina, where various other species seem to be drowning themselves in alcohol despite it being mid-day. He takes a seat at the bar and the Arcona pats him on the back before walking to the back of the cantina.

As the trooper looks around, he begins to feel overwhelmed. How did any of this happen?

"This must be hard for you." A man in a red Kaleesh-inspired mask states. "I'm Sidon, the Captain of these here men." He gestures to the lively pirates filling the cantina.

"Kix." The clone introduces himself.

"Well Kix, what do you plan on doing now that you're 50 years in the future?" Sidon asks.

Kix sighs. "What am I supposed to do? Everything I know is long gone. I was bred to be a soldier, what good is a soldier if there's no war?"

Sidon thinks of his next words carefully. "There happens to be an open spot on my crew if you're up for it."

"Me, a pirate?" Kix almost laughs. "I don't think I can do anything of that sort, at least not until I've taken care of my unfinished business."

"Unfinished business?" Sidon asks. "The war ended 50 years ago, the Empire took over the galaxy until it fell 26 years ago." He explains.

Kix shakes his head. "There's got to be more clankers out there somewhere. Those things killed my brothers and I won't rest until they're all destroyed."

Sidon smiles to himself under his mask. "Well then, you'll need a team." He states, earning a shocked look from the trooper. "You get your revenge, my crew and I get the abandoned tech."

Kix ponders the offer for a moment before agreeing.

"It's settled then, we leave at dawn." Sidon states.

Kix nods as the Captain stands. "Oh, sir." He speaks up. "Will uh.. Will that woman be joining us? The one that you were with when you found me?"

Sidon stiffens at the question, recalling their tense interaction only a few short hours ago. "She's no pirate." He says. "She's already fled the system."

From the tone of the Captain's voice, he knows not to ask of her again. He's not sure why he's so curious about her, but he can't help but wonder why or how he seemed to trust her.

If what the crew says is true and she and the Captain do have some sort of involvement, then perhaps they'll cross paths again. Until then, his priority is ridding of every last Separatist factory in the galaxy.

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Author's Note:

Issa short one, I know :(
The next chapter will be longer I promise.

I hope you're all enjoying the story so far 💙