The Enigma

The Journey

The sun rose early streaming hot beams of sunlight across her face, waking her from the restless night. Her body screamed for more sleep and she would have welcomed it but her captor insisted she stay close to his side as they made the journey back to the ship. Miles and miles of trekking across barren dunes and rocky wastelands made it more difficult when your hands were tide behind your back and the sun only growing hotter causing giant beads of sweat to form in all kinds of uncomfortable places. But should she even be complaining? She was still in fact alive because of her captor, the very one who could care less if she tripped or sprained a ankle. But if he didn't care, why did he always pay so much attention to every move she made, keeping her in side-eye view? Her throat was parched as she hadn't drunk anything since the day before when they happened to find one stream of water barely enough to quench her thirst. She hadn't seen another one and would be willing to do anything for even one sip of liquid. The fact she had never once seen the bounty hunter remove his helmet to take a sip of water or bite of food sparked her previous idea that he wasn't a human under all that armor. She carefully took a glance at him only tilting her head half way so it wasn't obvious. He was usually silent the whole morning except the occasional, "Keep moving" and a nudge in the back. 

Maybe he's programmed to only say a few phrases, she thought as she followed him up a rocky over cropping of rock. Once they reached the top, he knelt down on one knee and pressed a button on the side of his helmet. Ember followed his line of direction and peered over the edge, her captors ship not far below. It was being dismantled by a group of Jawas, his parts being loaded to their enormous Sand Crawler. Her captor immediately went flat on his stomach, quickly pulling his rifle from behind his back aiming it towards the little devils. He took a shot, instantly hitting one and disintegrating it. She realized it was the same weapon that he'd used to kill the bandit, saving her life. The Jawas went into a frenzy rushing around looking for safety inside their Sand Crawler. It began to roll away, his stolen parts still inside. Her captor cursed under his breath and signaled for her to follow him, both making their way down the cliff to solid ground. Once he was level he knelt back down on the gravel taking another shot at the large machine. The ship was too heavily armored his shot only bouncing off with no effect. Her captor sprinted towards the moving vehicle, lining himself up before jumping onto the side. The Jawas began to throw obscene objects down at him seeing their ship was in danger. With a strong arm grip he dodged the falling items using his strength to climb higher. He eventually made it to the top, whipping out his blaster and aiming it towards the group of little tyrants. Before he had a chance to shoot there was a sudden bolt of unexpected electricity that shot engulfing the bounty hunter in sparks. The shock sent him backwards off the edge of the ship, falling to the rocks below. He landed with a jolt, the Crawler creeping past. Ember stood frozen. Was he dead? She made the short distance over to where he was laying, leaning a bit closer to see if he was even breathing. There was a groan and he sat up, starling her and causing her to jump back pushing distance between him. He shifted his head to where she stood then over in the direction of the disappearing Sand Crawler. 

She followed him back to what was left of the hunk of junk-the hanging cables and gears, missing plates and shattered windows were the only remains the Jawas had left. He pressed open the door to the side of the ship then slammed it shut with a brute amount of force. Whatever had been on there was now missing. He made his way up to the cockpit and she watched him as he flipped a few switches trying to power it up but it was received with a puff of black smoke pushing it's way out of the engine rendering it useless. In a sudden rage he slammed his fists hard on the panel board letting out the frustration in a mumbled curse. He turned his head around staring directly in her direction. If she thought she felt fear before it was nothing compared to how she felt it now. She couldn't hide it now even if she wanted to. After a moment of uncomfortable silence he completely turned around, grabbing her arm with the same fist he had just used to abuse the panel board, leading her back outside.

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Silence continued to follow them as they pushed on over the bumpy terrain towards the setting sun. Her captor made it a priority to keep her in sight at all times as if she would have the slightest idea to run. After what seemed like an eternity of walking and stumbling over rocks, she was glad for once that the sun began to set over the horizon causing the air around them to finally cool off. She had been looking down at the ground, careful with each step and looked up for the first time in a while, surprised to see a hut before them. It was the first one she'd seen since they had arrived on this god-forsaken planet. A short man walked out from the tent upon their arrival and gave a tiny wave. 

"I thought you were dead," the man said, addressing her captor. He clearly knew who the bounty hunter was by his friendly approach which instantly told Ember he was a man not to be trusted. It only took a moment for the mans eyes to shift from her captor to hers eyeing her up and down. 

"This is who was causing all the fuss?" he asked nonchalantly.

The bounty hunter also tilted his head in her direction causing her to feel all the more vulnerable. "This is the fuss," her captors words held no emotion. 

"I see you've decided to bring her in alive then," the man added. 

The hunter turned to face the short man and ignored his previous statement. "My ship has been destroyed. I'm trapped here." 

"You mean stripped. The Jawas steal, not destroy," he clarified. 

"Yeah, well stolen or destroyed makes no difference to me," the hunter shot back. "They're protected by that Crawling Sand thing. There's no way to get back my parts."

"You can trade."

"With the Jawas? Are you out of your mind?" Her captor wasn't impressed and his tone of voice proved it. 

"I will be willing to take you to them," the man turned around heading towards the coral pen where two Blurrgs were being held. Ember felt a drop on her face and looked up in the darkening sky. There was another drop then another. It wasn't long before it came down heavily upon them the two insisting on traveling all the way back to his ship in the dark. Once the blurrg was hitched to the floating wagon the short man hopped onto it's back with ease. The bounty hunter looked over at the girl and motioned for her to get in the wagon. She obeyed minding the fact she was already drenched wet and cold from the down pour-her captor hopping in next to her. As they silently journeyed across the bumpy terrain in the dark and rain she could have found reason to complain but she welcomed it instead, letting the coolness of water wash away the days worth of sweat. Though her hands were still bound behind her she took the opportunity and opened up her mouth letting drops of water in cooling her cracked lips. It wasn't much but it was enough to satisfy her desperate need. She hadn't realized her eyes were closed until they were snapped open by the feeling of gloved hands yanking at the restraints around her wrists. At long last she was free from them. She figured he knew she wouldn't make the dumb move of jumping off a moving cart with the sharp rocks jutting out underneath. And he was right. Instead she held her sore wrists rubbing them with the drips of rainfall. Somehow through the pitch blackness, bumpy conditions and rainfall, she found the much needed rest her body ached for.